A Nameless tale
by Shippu Jinraikyaku
Summary: WEll. Its a Hanabi and Naruto story. Its my first. Hanabi meets Naruto by accident and i guess it starts from there. It's really funny because Hinata's the complete opposite of herself.R&R Plzzzz.
1. Chapter 1

Yay my first fic! Plzz be nice and review. Well the pairing is HanabixNaruto as the summary said. Just to let you know I put a 5 year skip in this so Hanabi would be 17 and Naruto would be 20 . Well, ummm I guess thats all for now but one more thing: I do accept flames , they do keep me warm but not to much okay. Now, on to the story.

P.S.- thoughts are in these things ' _yaddy yaddy yadda'_

2nd P.S.- Someone give me a name for this thing please.I couldn't come up with anything.

A Nameless Tale

Chapter one

Hanabi lay uncomfortably under a thorn tree, trailing Hinata. The cold wind and the thorns from the bush that were rudely poking her in some very sensitive places, made her wish she had actually put on some senisble clothes before following her sister. 'Really Hanabi, who follows someone around in extremely thin silk pajamas at two in the morning.'

Hanabi shifted to see better as Hinata was talking to or choking someone on the corner. Hanabi sweared her older sister was a demon at sometimes. If Hanabi remembered right, when she was about four or five and Hinata was about ten or nine, Hinata used to act shy around her elders but when they left her and Hinata alone, Hinata would pull her buy her hair and fling her around like a rag doll and whenever they went to the the springs, Hinata would hold her head under the water until she couldn't breathe and raise her head up again only for her to take a breath and go back under. Untill Hinata graduated from the academy, Hanabi thought Hinata's purpose in life was to make her as miserable as possible. To summmarize it all Hanabi really hated her sister. The only time Hinata showed her any kindess was when the oblivious blonde idiot (her description of Naruto) visited Neji for a sparring session, and only because Hanabi's room was directly on top of the place they used to train so she would occasionaly step in and spend the whole day watching him. Hanabi thought it was quite pathetic of someone to crush over a person who doesn't even notice you at all, even though you drop obvious hints that you like them. But Hinata had no experience with boys which, in contrast to Hanabi who had countless experience with boys, made her panic whenever someone asked her out.

Hanabi was getting quite bored laying on the tree branch and was pondering if she should go back home or not when a gust of wind threw a tsunami of dead leaves at her, blocking her view of her sister. By the time she cleared the leaves out of her face Hinata and her mysterious figure was gone from the corner. Hanabi heard soft whistling coming at a steady pace and shifted her weight to see who it was but, the consequence of shifting her weight made the branch she was laying on crack. As she tried to steady her self and keep the branch from breaking any further, her shirt got caught in one of the thorns in the tree. Thinking on reflex, she pulled against it which shifted her weight which caused the branch to crack even more.

And here we find Hanabi barely breathing in hopes the branch wouldn't buckle under her. '_Oh please don't crack, please don't crack I'll burn you if you crack, so be nice and don't crack.'_ Hanabi thought. She still could hear the whistling coming closer and started to pray had that it wasn't someone she knew or that she wouldn't be noticed. The person who was whistling came in to view and she saw that it was the annoying blonde that Neji sometimes sparred with. And so, once again , Hanabi began to pray that the branch would not fall and she along with it but, this ugly black cat that looked partially burnt ran right under her leaving Hanabi with alot of bad luck.

Naruto, being oblivious of Hanabi in the tree, decided to approach the tree and he began to circle it. He stopped and, to Hanabi's luck, was standing right under the branch Hanabi was sitting on.

Of course Naruto being Naruto, slapped the tree because he didn't like how it was looking at him. And because of that, the tree branch Hanabi was sitting on, praying it wouldn't fall, snapped and down came a cursing Hanabi, with a nice tear in her shirt, on top of Naruto.

Now anyone who would have happened to pass by, though it was unlikely because it was 2 something in the morning, would think the two were doing something many would say was unappropiate for their ages.

This is how it was, Naruto was laying on the floor all sprawled out with Hanabi's right leg embracing Naruto's left leg, her left hand on his chest and her right hand by his inner thigh. And to complete it, Hanabi's hair was all messed up, her shirt torn revealing an ivory colored smooth neck that screamed: come place a hickey on me, you know you want to, and she was breathing quite hard, which made her look like a damsel in distress. Naruto layed unmoving and looked dazed. His eyes wide and focus on Hanabi's eyes. So many thoughts ran through his mind, and the fact that she was wearing thin silk pajamas that stucked to every curve on her body, were not making them good thoughts. So, the two just stayed there unmoving, pale eyes looking into pretty blue ones.

To add to their luck, Kakashi just happened to be on patrol and just happened to be walking down their street when he saw the two people in their position. He closed his Icha Icha Paradise and stood over the two saying, " Well, well well, what _do_ we have here? ".

Naruto snapped out of his daze and looked up to see Kakashi looking back at him.

" Well?" Kakashi asked glancing from Naruto to Hanabi at back.

The two on the floor looked at each other then at Kakashi and said," I think I can explain. I was-"

they both tried to explain disentangling themselves.

" I understand", Kakashi said grinning, " Next time you want to explicitly express your love to one another, do it in the privacy of a bedroom. And Naruto, I thought you didn't like the young ones." Kakashi easily ducked the tree branch thrown at him and then grew serious.

" What were you two doing out here?" he asked, doning his famous bored expression." Well?"

" I was-" Kakashi raised a hand silencing both.

" One at a time, Naruto you go first." Kakashi said.

" Well, you see, what had happened was, I was -uh- making ramen and oh, my teapot caught on fire, yeah thats it, and I tried to get water but I forgot nobody paid the water bill for me so I had no water. In a panic, I threw the flaming teapot out the window but it hit a cat and the cat caught on fire. So I chased after the cat and when I put out the flames I decided to take the long route back home and ended up here, then she fell on me!" Naruto grinned at Kakashi.

" You have to be a complete dumbass to fall for that." Hanabi muttered.

" Okay." Kakashi said with a nod. Hanabi bit on her tongue to stop her from saying something to the copy ninja that she would later regret.

" And what about you?" Kakashi asked nodding his head in her direction.

Hanabi pulled up her shirt to try and cover the parts of her that were visible.

" Well?" Kakashi asked again.

Hanabi couldn't think of anything to say. And she really didn't want to tell the jounin why she was really out here. So she used the easiest lie/excuse( whats the difference?) she could've come up with.

" Uhh... I was doing a special type of Hyuuga training that enhances my tracking skills." Hanabi said as calmly as she could.

Kakashi looked at her with his one visible eye and cracked a small smile. Kakashi, thinking he could pay off his debt to Tsunade-sama and make Naruto miserable, decided to let them go but tell them a beleivable lie which would make their lives miserable and his life stress free. Mostly he wanted to make Naruto miserable because Naruto told Iruka about the hidden cameras Kakashi had installed inside of Iruka's shower.

" Well, I could tell your father about this and from what I hear, he has you on a tight leash," Kakashi said looking at Hanabi who tensed immediately, " and I could tell Iruka or Jiraiya to not pay your water bill..."

" Big meanie " Naruto mumbled.

Hanabi, who was thinking of the punishments her father could give her if he found out, pleaded to Kakashi saying, " Please don't tell my father. " Naruto, seizing the chance to plead along with Hanabi, shouted " I need to bathe Kakashi-sensei. Its been 3 days!" Hanabi grimaced and took two steps away from the blonde.

Kakashi stood calmly, staring at the two teens which was intimidating and creepy because they could only see one eye. " Well, I decided I won't tell your father and I might let Iruka pay your water bill, but under one condition though."

" What! " both exclaimed.

" You have to clean Tsunade's office, which also consists of sorting and filing _all_ documents in the proper cabinets."

" I'll do it! " Hanabi said, eager to avoid any problems with her father. Naruto, on the other hand had to think about this. Tsunade's office was a real mess and people really didn't notice it because she hid everything with genjutsu.

" Well all two of you must agree. Naruto?" Kakashi said looking in his direction. Naruto looked at the Hyuuga clamly staring at him, face expressionless. Naruto figured that she was most likely worried and hiding it. He had heard how cruel Hyuuga's can treat their own and felt sorry for Hanabi and said," I'll do it."

Kakashi grinned, " Alright meet me here approximately 7:00 am. " And with that, he strolled off with Icha Icha Paradise in hand. Naruto, grinning at Hanabi said, " Get ready to work your ass off tomorrow. He walked off whistling, wind ruffling his hair as he disappeared in the shadows.

Hanabi looked up in the sky and asked, " How bad can it be?" She watched a black cloud cover the moon from her view and returned home.

" Where have you been Hanabi?!" Hiashi demanded.

Hanabi felt a paralyzing fear settled on her as she stared at her father. She felt like slapping herself thinking back on how careless she was in sneaking back to her own house. Sure enough Hanabi had gotten inside without disturbing anybody or alerting the guards. But she didn't make sure that her father was asleep before she left which was one big mistake because she met him sitting on the staircase waiting for her. Hanabi calmed herself and tried to think of another lie , but she was coming up with blanks. So she decided to borrow a lie.

" Well?!"

" What had happened was that the teapot had caught on fire and---"

" Don't lie to me Hanabi! " Hiashi shouted.

'_ Damn, I thought that would've worked_ ', Hanabi thought.

" So where were you Hanabi?" Hiashi demanded again.

Hanabi, thinking that this was all Hinata's fault, decided to kill two birds with one stone and get all both of them in trouble. " Uhh, umm, you see, I went with Hinata to the little 24/7 garment store down by the creepy chinese restauraunt, to umm, buy some orange and black knee socks along with some bras and pantyhose. I went tonight because it was only a midnight to 2 in the morning sale. We would have asked you to join us but, I didn't think that you would have wanted to go in a store asking for pantyhose, bras and such." Hanabi told him.

" Is this true Hinata?" Hiashi asked his eldest daughter, who was standing in the hallway.

Hanabi turned around to see Hinata standing in the hallway wearing a nightdress and looking quite sleepy. Hanabi figured that Hinata was either hiding what she was really wearing with genjustsu or reached home before she did changed and woke up their father. With her back facing her father, Hanabi quickly mouthed to Hinata to help and play along. Hinata nodded at Hanabi and walked next to her. Hanabi then turned around to face her father again.

" Well?" Hiashi asked.

" F Fa Father...", Hinata stuttered, " She's t telling th the truth."

Hiashi looked at Hanabi, who was focusing on a dead roach on the floor, feeling relieved and shocked that Hinata actually helped her.

" But," Hinata continued, " th that was yesterday."

Hanabi glared at Hinata who was glaring back at Hanabi, smirking. Hanabi's eyes dilated at her sister in shock of her betrayal.

Hiashi, who looked like he was about to strangle his youngest daughter, calmed and said in a subtle voice, " The both of you go to bed. Hanabi I _will_ deal with you tomorrow and Hinata I'd like to see you before you leave in the morning." Hiashi retreated back to his room leaving behind his two daughters to think about what punishment he was going to give them.

As Hanabi started towards her room, she glared back at her sister, " Why did you do that?"

Hinata replied, " I saw you with Naruto-kun."

" So what? I have to waste the rest of the day with him, thanks to you!"

Hinata stared at her sister and asked in a dangerous voice, " What do you mean you _have_ to spend the rest of the day with him?"

Hanabi argued back, " If you hadn't sneaked out of the house I wouldn't have ..." Hanabi paused remembering that her sister was obsessed with the blonde idiot. She then smirked at Hinata for a while and then her smirked slowly turned into a devious smile. Hanabi was formulating a plan to get back at her sister. She had a feeling that she was going to enjoy making her sister jealous and envious of her.

" Well?" Hinata asked looking paranoid, " Aren't you going to finish?"

" No." Hanabi said still smirking, " Me and Naruto's business is none of your own and since and since I'm seeing him early, I ought to get to bed. See you whenever we finish our business." Hanabi turned and left to go to her room.

" hanabi, where are you going?" Hinata asked, " Come back here and finish explaining." Hanabi just ignored her sister and continued on her way to her bedroom.

" Hanabi, I'm talking to you!" Hinata shouted, " Get back here!"

Hanabi slammed her door shut leaving her sister to ponder on what she just told her. Hanabi layed down in the bed thinking she'd have to be up extra early to avoid her father before he could hand down his punishment on her. Hanabi was half asleep when she heard everal thuds on her door and heavy footsteps running down the stairs. Hanabi dismissed it and rolled over on her side. She then drifted off to sleep.

Two Hours Later

Hanabi opened her room door to see several butcher knives sticking out of her door. She stared and the door thinking, ' _Father is going to throw me in that well when he sees this. All the better to hurry up and leave before he wakes up_' She then flicked the handle of the nearest knife and watched it wobble.

After playing with the knives, Hanabi the made her way to the bathroom to get ready. As she was closing the bathroom door another knife whizzed pass her head and landed neatly in one of the shower tiles. She locked the door and shouted, " It seems that your drowning in jealousy. You would have gotten me in the head if you weren't so cock-eyed." It was quiet for a while, then there were several more thuds on the door and an aggravated shout. Hanabi laughed, jumped in the shower, jumped out, dressed in the bathroom, and then climbed through the bathroom window to leave before her father could catch her and to meet the blonde and the stupid jounin for their assignment.


	2. Chapter 2

I'd like to thank all of the people who took the time out to send me a kind review.

Well, I have nothing else to say right now so.. on with the story.

P.S.- there's a few comments at the end.

Chapter Two

Hanabi stood under a tree trying to get shade, while the burning sun sent deadly heat waves toward everything in its path. She wiped away a bead of sweat from her forehead and stepped closer toward the tree.

" Hey!"

Hanabi turned towards the voice. The ever-smiling blonde, wearing a small black shirt and orange pants, jogged up next to her and joined her in the shadows of the tree.

" It's quite hot isn't it? Where's Kakashi-sensei?" the blonde asked cheerily, as if the intense heat wasn't bothering him.

" He hasn't arrived as yet." Hanabi replied coldly.

The blonde hummed and collapsed next to her. Hanabi used the rest of her time examining the blonde next to her. ' _Look at him_,' she thought, ' _that ugly blonde hair, those creepy blue eyes, that nasty tanned skin, those disgusting muscles that flexed themselves everytime you take a breath_.' She quietly sneered at him. Naruto, unknowingly, strechted in the cutest and sexiest manner ever, showing Hanabi a perfect view of all the muscles that was hidden in the orange jacket he was wearing earlier that morning. '_ Oh My Gosh he's gorgeous!_' Hanabi blushed.

Naruto noticed Hanabi staring at him and asked," What are you looking at? Something on my face?"

Hanabi sneered at him in reply, " Your ugly face."

Naruto let out a loud laugh, " I'm ugly? Ha! I have been told by numerous people that I'm quite sexy.", Hanabi could believe that statement. " The problem here is," Naruto continued, " that you're the ugly one and you're trying to pin your ugliness on me. You're just an ugly bastard in my opinion."

Hanabi gave him a cold stare and said, " The only people who would find you sexy is gay people. A perfect example would be Uchiha Sasuke. He was gay to the extreme. He thought of you as sexy. And from what I heard he was obsessed with freaks of nature thats why he was always with you."

" What? Were you saying something? I wasn't listening for a second. I was watching the leaves dance." Naruto said as if he wasn't listening. " I swear, you Hyuuga's are so conceited that you just love to hear yourself talk"

Hanabi turned toward him and said, " You know damn right you heard me. Freak of Konoha!"

Naruto's face saddened for a few seconds, then it hardened. He stood up, looked Hanabi in the face and said in a truculent tone, " Don't ever call me a freak. If you don't know anything keep your damn mouth shout."

Hanabi started to say something but closed her mouth, an ominous aura coming off of the blonde. Naruto stepped closer to Hanabi, so there faces were mere millimeters apart. Voice just barely above a whisper, Naruto said," The only thing I hate more than someone teasing me is an arrogant, ignorant, snobbish, conceited, ugly, ghostly-white, paled-eyed proud-assed Hyuuga." He then placed a frim grip around her neck and sneered, " I could kill you if I want and nobody'll know what happened."

Hanabi started to tremble. She looked in his eyes and saw a faint hint of red quivering behind blue eyes. A sick feeling of fear ran through her. Placing a weak grip on Naruto's neck, she shakily replied, " I'm n not afraid of you."

Naruto snorted and took a closer step, pining Hanabi to the tree. Summoning any courage from within her body, Hanabi screamed at the top of her lungs, " RAPE! RAPE!"

Kakashi appeared from nowhere, " Rape? Hmm, is there something I should know or document for future references?" Naruto jumped back, releasing Hanabi, and was about to heatedly deny any accusations but Kakashi raised a hand. " You have better things to worry about." He looked toward the stricken Hanabi who was leaning against the tree for support and said, " Sorry I'm late, I was chased and almost pecked to death by a bunch of pigeons."

Hanabi, standing on her own now, gave the ninja a you-expect-me-to-believe-that-crap look. Hanabi glanced at Naruto who appeared to be back to his regular smiling state, ominous aura gone.

Kakashi approached the two of them and said, " I do hope you two are ready to work, I'll assist whenever I can."

Hanabi asked, " Exactly what are we going to clean at the Hokage's office?"

Kakashi, grinning, replied " You'll know when we get there. And Naruto, I need you to give Jiraiya something for me. I would do it myself but your the only one who knows where he is right now. Also, tell him Tsunade-sama has hunter ninja looking for him. He's always on the move."

Naruto looked at Kakashi as if his head was dangling by his ear. " Ero-sennin? You expect me to go to where he is staying. Ha! You wish Kakashi-sensei. Everytime I go there, some floozy tries to rape me. I refuse to step foot in that House of Ill Repute."

Kakashi grinned at Naruto, " He must've known Tsunade-sama was looking for him becasue that'll be the last place she'll look." Naruto grimaced and Hanabi rolled her eyes. Kakashi then led them off toward the Hokage's office.

Hanabi stood across from the two guards that were standing in front of the door that lead into the hokage's office, waiting on Kakashi to tell her to come in. She wanted to know what's so special with Naruto that he had to go inside with Kakashi and she stayed out. The door cracked open and a hand holding an orange book poked out, ushering her to come inside. The guards stepped aside and she walked in. The first thing that came to her mind was that this was going to be easy. The only thing that was in the room was a single stack of papers on the hokage's desk. Hanabi glanced at Naruto who was at ease in one of the chairs placed in front of the desk and Kakashi was standing at the door reading his orange book. Hanabi glanced at the hokage and instantly felt afraid. This was the first time she ever saw the hokage in person. Blonde hair, kinda tall, and a stern face. Yep, Hanabi thought, this is no lady to mess with.

Tsunade studied the young Hyuuga that was looking at her. She then leaned on her desk, propping her chin with her hands.

" Hyuuga, Hanabi I presume?" she asked.

" Yes hokage-sama." Hanabi said while bowing, not forgetting her manners.

" So I hear you and Naruto are going to clean my office." Tsunade started, " I'm not going to be here to watch you so I would like to see it in order and nothing missing when I return."

Standing up while cracking her knuckles, Tsunade said, " If I find that anything is missing upon my return you and Naruto will face dire consequences."

Hanabi was having a hard time keeping her self calm and not shaking with fear. She nodded at what Tsunade just said.

" Dire consequences." Tsunade repeated. She punched the wall to enforce her point and Hanabi jumped. Naruto let out a snort saying, " Hahahaha, your scared of Oba-chan."

Tsunade glared at Naruto and he immediately shut up. She removed her hand from the wall showing the small crater she had created. Hanabi, wide-eyed, took a step away from the hokage who was now walking towards the door.

" Come on Kakashi," the hokage said, " lets play a game of poker while they clean my office."

" I don't think so. I lost the last time." came Kakashi's reply, still reading his orange book

" Oh well," Tsuande said walking out the door, " the stakes were going to be how and where Iruka spends his week vacation starting tomorrow."

Kakashi immediately shut his book and followed the hokage out the door saying, " On second thought, I do have a little time."

The door shut behind him leaving Naruto and Hanabi alone in the room. Hanabi walked towards the hokage's desk and examined the single sheet of paper placed on Tsunade's desk. She picked it up and read it.

_I'm placing you in charge of this mission, Hyuuga Hanabi._

_I expect everything to be cleaned inside and out and be put back in place upon my return._

_After you and naruto finish cleaning, try to persuade him to take some pills I have hidden under my desk Or, an alternative to the pills, I have a needle injection right next to the pills._

_Good luck trying to wrestle him down if you choose the needle. He has to eat first._

_Do Not Let Him See This Note. In fact, dispose of it once you read this. And remeber, there are dire consequences if you fail to clean my office_

_P.S.: Get him to take those pills, by all means necessary. He will refuse to take them._

_The Fifth Hokage of Konoha._

Hanabi tore the note in half and threw it in the garbage. She started to walk towards the stack of papers behind the desk when she noticed that Naruto was watching her and had been since she stepped in the office. She stopped and turned to face him.

" What?" she asked him.

Naruto loooked at her with big blue eyes and said, " Nothing. I just don't like you."

Hanabi said. " And I don't like you, but this office has to be cleaned. So, let's just call a truce for time being so we can get this office cleaned before the hokage comes back. So, truce or not?"

Naruto leaned back in his chair and pondered if he should just duck out and leave her with all the work but, Tsunade might come looking for him if he left.

" Think of it in this sense," Hanabi started, " if you help me clean this office, you won't have to see me again." Hanabi watched as Naruto smiled at what she just said.

Naruto walked towards Hanabi and extended a hand signaling a truce. Gingerly, she shook his hand. Hanabi the divided the room in half so she could work on one side and Naruto on the other. And so they worked seperately for most of the morning in silence, not even looking at each other.

Hanabi, after three long hours, placed her final stack of papers neatly in a corner and turned around in time to catch Naruto stuffing a few papers under the carpet.

" Naruto, you ass!" Hanabi shouted.

" Oh shut the hell up, she won't notice!" Naruto shouted back at her.

" Yes she will and she's gonna -" Hanabi was interrupted mid-rant by knocking. Naruto opened the door to reveal a blushing Hinata with food.

Hanabi walked from behind Naruto to see who it was. Hinata stared in shock as she saw her sister standing next to Naruto.

Hnabai turned to Naruto and coldly asked, " What is _it_ doing here?"

Naruto winced at that comment and Hinata frowned and stuttered, " Ka, Kakashi-sensei a, asked me to bring N, Naruto-kun some lunch."

" Why thank you Hinata. " Naruto said as he took the lunch from her, causing Hinata to blush. He was about to open it and eat it when Hanabi snatched it from him and ran to the window. Naruto started towards her but stopped when Hanabi pushed her left hand out the window, which was holding the food.

Naruto thought about the idea of tackling her to get it but she could drop it if he got her. So he decided he would try to reason with her.

" You really wouldn't do that right?" Naruto asked cautiously, his stomach growling.

" Sure I would.." Hanabi replied.

" But I'm really hungry" Naruto whined. Hanabi was enjoying every moment of this. She loved to watch people beg.

" Well, I'm not." Hanabi replied smirking.

" H, Hanabi, p please just give it to him." Hinata pleaded.

" He'll get it as soon as you get your arse out of here and he finshes what he has to do."

Hinata stiffened and turned to leave the room, stumbling over a vase with a daisy on it on her way out. Hanabi was so concentrated on watching Hinata leave that she forgot all about Naruto.

Naruto approached Hanabi from behind and wrapped his left hand strongly around her slender waist and pulled her from the window. With his left hand holding her steady he used his right arm to grab the hand that was holding his food. Hanabi struggled to break free but Naruto tightened his grip on her.

" Get your hands off of me!" Hanabi shouted while struggling keep the food in her hand and out of his reach.

" Get your hands off my food." Naruto shouted, trying to get the food from Hanabi. Since he was making no progress, he decided to play dirty and blow in her ear.

Hanabi stilled when she felt his breath in her ear. The feeling of his heated breath in her ear sent a foreign feeling down her spine that caused her to shiver. And at that moment the door opened to reveal Hinata standing in the doorway looking down at the ground muttering that she had forgotten her bag.

Naruto and Hanabi froze in their position hoping that Hinata wouldn't look up and see them. Hinata picked up her bag and , head still down, started toward the door but she looked up as she was leaving and saw what looked like Naruto embracing Hanabi. Hinata gasped and stared in shock at Hanabi and Naruto. " W, What are y, you doing?" she stammered.

" Uhhhhhh, I can explain." Naruto said, letting go of Hanabi causing her to fall on the floor. He then started toward Hinata. Hinata backed up toward the door, anger boiling inside of her. Hanabi braced herself against the wall to keep herself from falling. Hanabi stared at Naruto who was looking at Hinata who was glaring at Hanabi. An akward silence filled the room. Hinata picked up her bag and left the room, not before looking back at Hanabi who was smirking at her. Hanabi then slid down to the floor still feeling dazed about what Naruto had done to her.

Naruto resumed cleaning his part of Tsunade's office in the akward silence that lingered in the air. The food lay forgotten on the ground next to Hanabi.

After about a minute or so Hanabi got up and sat on the other side of the room away from Naruto. She then began to think about what had happened a few minutes earlier and why she felt thrilled when Naruto breathed in her ear.

Naruto, on the other hand, was thinking how to explain to Hinata what had happened. He really wanted to stay her friend because she always looked out for him. He knew she liked him but, he didn't like her the same way she liked him. He wasn't as stupid as everyone thought him to be. He was aware that she was obsessed with him and he really didn't want to ruin his friendship with her.

" You know your food is going to get cold." Hanabi said, breaking the silence. Naruto almost forgot that she was still in the room with him and replied, " I'm not hungry anymore."

" So you're just gonna let it waste."

" Might as well., I'm not gonna eat it."

Hanabi got up from where she was sitting, picked up the food, and walked in front of Naruto. Naruto looked up to see Hanabi's expressionless face staring down at him.

" What do you want?" he asked, now annoyed at her.

Hanabi dropped the bag with the food in front of Naruto and said, " Eat."

" What?!"

" Eat the damn food!" Hanabi shouted at him, her temper rising because she had just remembered that she was in trouble with her father.

" What fo-"

" If you don't eat I get in damn trouble!"

" What for?!" Naruto snapped.

" Hokage-sama instucted me to tell you to take some pills help strengthen your body." Hanabi said, conviently leaving out the needle injection part. She then digged around in her pocket and pulled out a yellow bottle with pills and handed it to him.

Naruto snatched them from her, a little embarassed that Tsunade told her about his pills, which he hated because they had side effects that reacted as soon as he took them. He didn't want to take them in front of Hanabi because it could and most likely would lead to embarassing events.

" Well?" Hanabi asked.

" Well what?"

" Aren't you going to take them?"

" Sure I am."

Naruto got up and made his way to the window with the food, muttering about needing fresh air to eat. Hanabi, who was warned that he would show resistance in taking the pills, prepared the needle while his back was turned to her.

Naruto peered out the window to see if anyone was walking below and threw the pills and the food out the window. He heard the door click and turned around to see Hanabi standing in front of the door, with the needle in full view.

**:- **We interrupt this program to explan why Naruto needs these pills or the injection. Now, since Naruto eats only ramen, he would naturally lack all the other minerals and vitamins found in other food like fruits and veggies. So being the loving hokage she was, Tsunade made these pills and the injection that supplies Naruto's body with all the vitamins and minerals he misses. For the record, lets just say Naruto has a fear of needles and Hanabi has an obsession with them. We now go back to the story. Sorry for any inconviences caused. **:- **

Naruto started to back away from Hanabi saying, " Now, now Hanabi. Lets not do anything rash."

Hanabi smirked and slowly made her way toward him. The only escape between hanabi and the needle was the door, which she conviently locked behind her. The window was too small for him to fit through.

" Well Naruto," Hanabi started, " we can do this the easy way or the embarassing way."

" How about no way." Naruto replied, edging away from Hanabi as she mimicked every move he made.

Hanabi sighed and said, " Embarassing way it is then."

Hanabi ran toward Naruto and lunged the arm with the needle towards him. Naruto threw himself on the floor to dodge it. He then rolled on to his feet and made a break for the door. Hanabi saw this and did a handstand that landed her in front of him. He then feinted to run to her right and she fell for it, leaving him a opening to go right and thats what he did. Hanabi did a low roundhouse sweep kick, trying to trip him but he jumped over it. Naruto thought he was in the clear but failed to see the vase and tripped over it, landing flat on the floor. Hanabi then seized this chance and ran toward the door to block his escape, but tripped over the daisy in the vase Naruto tripped over and fell on top of him as he was getting up.

And so, the two began to wrestle over the floor with Hanabi trying to stick him and Naruto trying to roll away from her. In some weird way, Hanabi had manage to pin him to the ground. Naruto struggled beneath her, but, surprisingly, Hanabi was keeping him in place.

" Dammit, keep still." Hanabi said, forcefully tearing off the arm of his shirt.

" No, you're gonna stick me with that infected piece of metal." came Naruto's exhasperated reply.

" It's not infected dammit, the hokage made it herself." Hanabi said through deep breaths.

" How the hell I know she didn't already stick someone with that thing." Naruto replied.

" Stop being an ass and keep still already."

" NO!"

Hanabi decided to try a different tactic to get him to take the needle, which was her last resort. With much difficulty, Hanabi had managed to sit on his legs to stop him from kicking at her. And pinning his hands over his head she said in a soft voice, " It won't hurt. Trust me."

" No, I won't trust you!" Naruto shouted and struggled even more to get out of Hanabi's hold.

" For the record, you forced me to do this." Hanabi stated. She then lowered herself to his ear and blew in it causing Naruto to go still. Naruto's face went red when Hanabi pulled him up, so she was sitting in his lap. She then wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, loosened the top button of her shirt, ruffled up her hair, wrapped her hands around his neck and positioned one so that the needle was right behind his arm, and pulled herself closer, molding their bodies together.

Naruto who was barely breathing remained still. Their bodies was so closed that he was smelling her hair, which reminded him of the forest. He was so dazed about how closed their bodies were that he didn't felt the small prick on the back of his arm.

Hanabi lowered her head to his ear again and whispered in a sultry manner," Now that wasn't so hard."

Hanabi's face turned a deep crimson, resembling Hinata when coming in close contact with Naruto, as she felt something warm and hard throbbing against her inner thigh. She froze and looked at Naruto who was blushing furiously. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. And at that moment, the door just happened to swing open and there were several gasps as five pairs of eyes stared at the two people on the floor.

End of chapter two.

For some odd reason, my friend told me to put this here.(seriously she did)

This chapter was brought to you by Gai-co.

Orochimaru: It was my birthday when my husband destroyed my summoning scrolls.

Gai: But you know I still love him.

Orochimaru: A Gai-co claims adjuster came to my house.

Gai: So I put on some tangerine lip gloss and answered the door.

Orochimaru: The claims told me I would have a new set of scrolls in a matter of days.  
Gai: I was one lucky kunoichi.

Gai-co, Real Men, Misguided Genders

In my opinion, it wasn't that funny. Oh well. So, how did you like chapter two? Was it good? Please review. Sorry it took so long to update but, my internet wasn't on and I had progress report coming up so I had to bring up my B minuses to B's to avoid being grounded. I know, it's sad, I get grounded for B minuses. Anyways the next chapter should be up in about a week and a half. I get distracted easily while typing. I guess thats all.

P.S. I'd like to thank all of you people for the nice reviews. And I'm gonna introduce an OC soon, maybe.

P.P.S. Review please. Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

**Once again, I'd like to thank all of the people who sent reviews. Sorry I took so long to update. I'm quite lazy when it comes to typing and I get distracted easily. So here's what I've got for you.**

: Shippu Jinraikyaku

Chapter Three.

"Oh my! Are we interrupting something? How rude of us." Kakashi said, grinning at the couple on the floor.

"H Hanabi, w what are y you doing?" Hinata stuttered, as she stared at her sister in disbelief, her face going red with anger. Naruto was hers and she'll be damned if she let anyone take him from her.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Hanabi said, pulling herself off of Naruto.

Sakura, Kakashi, and the two guards took a step away from Hinata as a feeling of murderous intent rolled off of the girl.

Naruto got up and grinned at them saying, "It isn't what it looked like. She just wanted me to take a shot."

Sakura pointed a finger at him and asked, "Well, if you were supposedly taking a shot, where is the needle?" Hanabi rolled her eyes and held up the needle for everyone to see.

Kakashi nodded his head at Sakura and said, "Ok, if that's what you want us to believe, we'll believe you."

Naruto eyed Kakashi suspiciously and asked, "Are you trying to imply that I'm lying Kakashi-sensei.?"

Kakashi smirked and said, "I'm not implying anything, just saying that you want us to believe what you said."

Naruto replied, "I'm not lying. I'll tell you exactly what happened. She-"

"Shut up." Hanabi interrupted, "Can't you see he's just trying to get you to say something."

"Aha!" Sakura shouted, "So there was something going on in here."

"No there wasn't." Hanabi snapped.

"Look's like you're hiding something from us Hanabi." Kakashi teased.

"I'm not hiding anything damn it!" Hanabi shouted.

"Well, that's what it sounds like." Sakura said.

Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow at Hanabi.

"Naruto, are you sure you two weren't doing anything like last night?" Kakashi asked. Sakura eyed Kakashi incredulously and said, "Wait a minute, they were doing something last night? Exactly what was it?"

Kakashi grinned and replied, "You mean he didn't tell you. Well I'm shocked. You see Sakura, I was on patrol last night and I just happened to meet these two under a tree. It seems like they were about to get busy. If you know what I mean."

Hinata's hands turned into fists, as she stared at her sister.

Sakura looked at Naruto in disbelief, "How come you didn't tell me about that? Unbelievable! I could use a drink."

"It wasn't like that either. It was an accident. Kakashi-sensei, I hope you die a slow miserable death!" Naruto said.

"I'm telling them how I saw it." Kakashi said, "Didn't I tell you two the next time you want to express your love to one another to get a room."

"We are in a room." Naruto snapped, "I mean it wasn't like that."

"So you two were about to get 'busy' on the floor." Sakura said accusingly.

"No we weren't. I would never dream of doing anything like that." Naruto shouted, pointing at Hanabi, "I have better taste."

"Excuse me!" Hanabi shouted, looking at Naruto.

Naruto turned toward her and said, "I wouldn't."

"Who would be desperate enough to do something like you?" Hanabi replied sharply.

Naruto ignored her comment and looked back at Kakashi saying, "Besides, she was coming on to me."

"I would never. I'm not that desperate. Do I like Hinata to you?" Hanabi shouted at him.

Everyone inside the room, except Hanabi and Hinata, winced.

Naruto looked at her accusingly, "Don't try to lie. You did come on to me to try to get me to take the needle."

"I…. It wasn't…. I only did that because you forced me to." Hanabi said.

Naruto let out a laugh and said, "I forced you? I was trying to get away from you. You were the one who pinned me to the ground and tried to rip off my shirt."

Hanabi was speechless. He had her there.

Kakashi had quietly summoned a video camera and started recording. Damn! He was going to enjoy every moment of this.

Sakura stared at Hanabi and said, "I don't know which one of you to believe. I really need a drink."

Hanabi glared at Naruto and let out a frustrated yell, "I really dislike you!"

Naruto looked at her and asked, "Do I look like I give a damn?"

Hanabi walked closer to Naruto and whispered to him malevolently, "This isn't over. I'm going to hunt you down and then slowly kill you. You better watch out from now on."

Naruto shivered and took a step away from her, "You won't find me."

Hanabi laughed maliciously and said out loud, "I have my ways of finding people, and I just might be waiting for you under your bed tonight."

An eerie silence abruptly fell into the room. Then all of a sudden, Hinata let out a howl of rage and tackled Hanabi, sending her into the wall. Naruto let out a yelp as Hinata shoved him out of the way to get towards Hanabi.

The two Anbu guards started toward Hinata, to restrain her, but stop when Kakashi put a hand in front of them saying, "Not yet, I want this on tape."

The two guards hesitantly nodded. Naruto was about to hold Hinata down, but stopped when Sakura tackled him to the ground saying that it was between Hinata and her sister and if he got into it he would be seriously injured.

Naruto stopped struggling and allowed Sakura to drag him out of the way of the two fighting Hyuuga.

Hanabi got up and stared at her sister in rage. She ran toward Hinata and delivered a sweet backhand slap to her face sending her to the ground. Hinata let out a yell and kicked her sister in the ankle making her fall on to the ground. She then pounced on top of Hanabi, giving her a fury of slaps and scratches. Hanabi tried to push Hinata off of her but it wasn't working. So she kneed Hinata in the stomach, causing Hinata to clutch her stomach in pain. Hanabi seized the chance and rolled from under Hinata. She then got up and aimed a kick towards Hinata's head but missed. Hinata jumped up and punched Hanabi in the face, causing her to stumble backwards a little bit, and then did a roundhouse kick into one of Hanabi's ribs. Hinata followed up the roundhouse kick with a powerful kick in the chest sending Hanabi forcefully into the wall.

Hanabi coughed up a little blood and spat on the floor. Her stomach was hurting like hell and she was sure she broke something. But it only fueled her anger more.

Hanabi pushed herself off the wall and head butted Hinata in the stomach, making Hinata double over on the floor, clutching her stomach again.

As Hinata started to get up again, Hanabi punched her in her back causing her to fall flat on the floor.

Kakashi grinned toward the two Anbu, who were enjoying the catfight, and said, "And you were going to stop them."

The two Anbu shrugged and started to cheer for Hanabi and/or Hinata.

Sakura and Naruto were in to much shock at Hinata to notice Kakashi recording the fight and the two guards cheering on. Was this the sweet, shy and innocent Hinata they knew? What happened to the timid girl with the stutter and extreme lack of confidence?

"Do you know how long I wanted to do this? Do you, BITCH?!" Hanabi shouted as she grabbed Hinata's hair. (YAY Verbal Violence)

"Get your fucking hands out my hair whore!" Hinata shouted at her sister.

"Make me!" Hanabi shouted back. Hanabi then pulled Hinata up by her hair and slammed her face back down to the ground. Hinata tried to make a grab for Hanabi, but was out of her reach. Still holding her hair, Hanabi picked up her sister and rammed her into Tsunade's desk.

Hinata slid to the floor and tried to roll away but Hanabi wasn't done yet.

Anbu guard number one: Yeah! Sweet! Aim for the chest.

Anbu guard number two: WHOOO! Bitchslap her! Damn! They should've been fighting in the rain.

Hanabi pulled on her sister's hair causing her to yelp. She then pulled up head up so Hinata was looking in Hanabi's face. Blood was slowly trickling down from a cut on Hinata's head.

"Good you're bleeding. Now this shouldn't hurt." Hanabi said mockingly, picking up Hinata by her hair again. Hanabi then punched Hinata on the nose and threw her forcefully into the wall.

Hinata felt pain shoot through her face as she wiped the blood that was threatening to go into her eyes. She was sure something was broken in her stomach as it hurt for her to move. Hinata launched herself toward her sister saying, "You're the biggest whore I know."

Hanabi ducked and made a grab towards Hinata's leg but Hinata saw her hand and grabbed it. Hinata then twisted her sister's hand forcefully, breaking it.

Hanabi let out a scream as she kicked Hinata in the thigh.

Hinata took the kick and grabbed onto Hanabi's hair.

"Payback time!" Hinata shouted as she sent Hanabi into the desk. Hinata picked her sister up by her hair again. Hanabi then head butted Hinata in the nose, causing blood to flow out. Hinata staggered back a little bit.

Hanabi, using her good hand, slapped Hinata and grabbed onto her hair.

Hinata held a hand to her nose, in an effort to stop the bleeding, and used her other to pull on Hanabi's hair. Hinata then sent a chakra enforced kick into Hanabi's stomach, causing Hanabi to cough up a mouthful of blood and let go of Hinata's hair. Hinata smirked as she sent the final blow to Hanabi's stomach, sending her forcefully into the wall, spewing up blood as she went.

Naruto was awakened out of his daze as he watched Hanabi slam into the wall, cough up blood and slowly slide down to the floor. He then shook Sakura so she could've gotten up out of her daze.

Hinata slowly made her way towards her sister's semi-conscious body. Her head was killing her, her nose broken, and probably her ribs were busted but she didn't care. She was angry as hell and the thought of her giving her sister what she thought as requital for coming on to Naruto (you know if you take out the _to_ that would sound so wrong), just made her feel excited.

Ignoring the killer pain in her stomach and head, and fueled by rage Hinata took out a kunai from her pocket and rushed toward Hanabi, ready to make a clean cut through her throat.

Hanabi saw Hinata rushing towards her with the kunai and tried to move but couldn't. Her body was in so much pain that it just went numb and refused to budge. Hanabi shut her eyes as Hinata approached with the kunai, ready to strike. Hanabi waited for the kunai to make contact with her body but it didn't. She cracked open one eye to see Naruto holding back a struggling Hinata, frowning at her. Hanabi let out a sigh of relief. She was going to be alright. At least that's what she thought before Hinata sneaked a leg around Naruto and kicked Hanabi in the head, knocking her out cold.

Naruto, who was suddenly angry at Hinata for some reason, flung her on the ground and went to Hanabi's aid. Just looking at Hanabi told Naruto that she needed medically attention. Naruto gave Hinata a cold look before running out the door with Hanabi in his arms.

Hinata got up to follow after Naruto, but stumbled and fell unconscious due to the head wound that was decreasing the amount of blood going to her head. Sakura had managed to catch her before she fell to the floor. Giving Hinata a look over, Sakura motioned for Kakashi to come help her.

"She needs medical attention. I haven't learnt how to deal with head wounds yet. I'll meet you in the emergency room at the hospital. I'm going to go ahead of you and notify the charge nurse on the situation." Sakura said. And with that, Sakura ran out of the door as fast as she could.

Kakashi picked up Hinata and turned to the two guards saying, "I'm taking her to the hospital. Just clean up the blood stains before Tsunade comes back, I'll deal with the rest later. I would help you but as you can see my hands are full. I'll repay you back someway."

The two guards opened their mouths to protest but Kakashi was already out the door.

"Damn." one of them said, "I should've figured he'd dump this on us."

"Oh well," the other said, "Let's get this done quick. I don't want to be around when she comes back and sees her office in a bigger mess than she left it." The other guard shuddered and they both went to work.

Naruto uncomfortably sat in a broom closet that served as an interrogation room. When he had entered the hospital with Hanabi in his arms, shouting that he needed a medic ninja immediately, the nurse sitting at the desk screamed for security. And in less than ten seconds, Hanabi was in a stretcher and was being shuttled to the operating room while Naruto found himself on the floor. The guards had bound his hands and feet with rope and carried him to the head of the security department, who threw him in a dimly lit broom closet. And so Naruto uncomfortably sat in the chair, waiting for someone to come and cut him loose.

The door opened and a lanky brunette came inside, cut him loose and told him he was free to go.

"It's about time." Naruto said, rubbing his wrist.

The brunette smiled at him and said, "We usually keep people in here for at least 18 hours before we get around to questioning them. You're lucky."

Naruto shuddered, he was about to ask the lady something else but he remembered about Hanabi and bolted out the room, heading to the front desk to ask the nurse about Hanabi and give her a piece of his mind.

Kakashi walked out of the emergency room feeling quite happy with himself. Sakura had met him at the door with a stretcher for Hinata and had taken her behind the big white double doors. He had promised to come back and check up on her later. Yeah right. He took out the latest book in the Icha Icha Paradise series and began reading. He was so close to the sex scene between the doctor and the nurse. Kakashi was so deep in reading the book that he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and bumped into someone. "Sorry," he started, not quite looking at the person, "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"And your still not watching where you're going, you perv."

Kakashi took his eye off of the book and turned around to see Iruka grinning back at him.

Oh goody! Just the person he wanted to see.

"What you been up to?" Iruka asked him.

"Oh nothing much, just watching to young ninja duke it out in Tsunade's office."

"Was she there?"

Kakashi shook his head.

"Oh, I wanted to ask her how long my vacation is." Iruka said.

Kakashi grinned at him and said, "Oh I know all about your vacation."

Iruka gave Kakashi a questioningly looked.

Kakashi grinned even more, "You mean she didn't tell you. Oh very well I'll tell you. Your vacation belongs to me."

Iruka let out a laugh and asked, "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Kakashi replied.

Iruka stared at him incredulously and asked, "What do you mean it belongs to you?"

"It means it belongs to me. You see _dearie_, Tsunade was bored and she asked me to a game of poker. I won and she lost. In other words, the stakes were where and how you spend your vacation."

Iruka let out a feverish laugh and asked, "You mean she betted my vacation."

Kakashi nodded and said, "Guess who gets to become my roommate for one entire week."

Iruka laughed and said, "Last time I checked you only had _one_ bedroom."

Kakashi replied, "I still do have that _one_ bedroom. But don't worry I don't mind _sharing_…" –wink wink- "the one _bed_room."

Iruka blushed and let out an exasperated laugh. "I don't believe you. Even if it's true I'm going to seal myself inside my house so I can't come out."

Kakashi laughed and replied, "I don't mind. I'll just come to your house instead."

Kakashi then left a speechless Iruka standing on the side walk.

"What the HELL happened to my office!?" an enraged Tsunade asked Shizune.

"I…I don't know" Shizune replied.

Tsunade walked through her office. It was more of a mess than she had left it. "Is that a blood stain?!" Tsunade asked her. Sure enough there was a smudge of blood on her carpet."

"What the hell happened to my desk!" Tsunade stood over her desk that was leaning on the floor, one side of it broken.

Shizune carefully backed away from Tsunade. The woman had a temper and right now she didn't want it focused on her.

"SHIZUNE!" Tsunade shouted, "GET ME UZAMAKI NARUTO AND HYUUGA HANABI RIGHT DAMN NOW!"

"Now, now Tsunade-sama lets not do anything rash. You don't know if they did this or not." Shizune reasoned.

"I DON'T CARE! I WANT THEIR ASSES OVER MY FIREPLACE!"

"Calm down Tsunade. Besides you don't have a fireplace." Shizune said.

Shizune realized she said the wrong thing when Tsunade picked up the broken piece of the desk and turned toward her.

Grinning out of anger, Tsunade shouted, "SHIZUNE, YOUR HEAD IS MINE!"

Shizune let out a squeal as she bolted out the room, Tsunade heavy on her tail shouting at people to get out of her way while knocking things down with the broken piece of desk in her hand.

The two guards crept out from behind the door.

"I'm going to feel sorry for Naruto, Shizune and that Hyuuga when she catches them", one of the guards said.

"It's sad though, they're getting blamed for the desk we broke." The other stated, "Hey, at least she won't know it was us." And the two guards walked off.

In the gardens of the Hyuuga estate.

"Hiashi, what's wrong?" one of the elders asked.

"I just have this strange feeling that someone is coming to give me a lot of grief and a bad headache." Hiashi replied frowning.

"I doubt it. Today has been to peaceful and quiet for any problems." the elder replied.

"That's the reason for the feeling. It's been too peaceful." Hiashi stated.

"Maybe it's because none of your daughters are home." the elder said.

"Really?" Hiashi said, "I hadn't noticed."

"I wonder what they're up to." the elder said.

"Hinata's most likely training with her team and Hanabi's avoiding her punishment." Hiashi stated.

The elder laughed and Hiashi raised an eye brow.

"I'm just remembering when Hinata told me Hanabi was spoilt because she never got punished."

"Hinata told you that?" Hiashi asked shocked.

He always thought that his eldest daughter was too timid to approach any elder.

"Hiashi-sama!"

Hiashi and the elder turned around to see a Hyuuga guard approaching them with a grim expression on his face. Hiashi turned to the elder and said, "I told you someone was coming to give me grief."

The elder chuckled and went back to sit down as Hiashi went to talk to the guard.

End of chapter three.

Well there's chapter three. R&R please. I know it's short. But I'll try to make the next one longer. I was supposed to put something here but I can't remember what it was. Oh well, Thanks for reading and please review. I thrive off your feedback. R&R.


	4. Chapter 4

Once again, thanks for your reviews. So sorry for the long wait. I meant to post it sooner but the urgent business of turning over a few games couldn't be ignored. So here it is.

Chapter Four

Naruto slightly opened the door that lead to Hanabi's room. He hated hospitals. From the overly sterile white floors to the horrible pudding they made you eat. But yet, he was always in here every month. He stuck his hand in the door and waved it around to see if Hanabi was awake. He didn't want to wake her if she was sleeping. Naruto was about to close the door and go visit Hinata, but stopped when a hoarse voice told him he can come in. Naruto stepped inside to see Hanabi staring down in a cup fill with pudding, trying to stir it around with a plastic spoon. Naruto sat in the chair next to Hanabi's bed and watched her. It was kind of funny watching a person with a broken hand trying so hard to stir a cup of pudding.

"Why are you here?" Hanabi asked, looking at him now.

Naruto shrugged and said, "I don't know. I just thought I'd come and see if you were still alive. Hinata did beat the shit out of you."

Hanabi frowned at him and replied, "You came just to rub it in didn't you?"

"No!"

"Then why are you here? Didn't you say you dislike most Hyuuga, including me? Why don't you go visit Hinata?" Hanabi said annoyingly.

Naruto got up and walked to the window. He honestly didn't know why he was here. Maybe it was the caring in his personality that made him come. He wished he could've come up with some excuse. Naruto turned around and studied the girl in the bed. Unusually pale, a broken hand, bandaged head, back propped up against pillows. Naruto grinned at her and said, "You remind of me when I'm in here. The only difference is that you're more ethereal."

Hanabi scowled at him and said, "Can you be anymore insulting?"

"Maybe. Sorry, I meant to say I didn't mean to sound insulting." Naruto said apologetically

Naruto sneaked a glanced at Hanabi. She was staring into the cup of pudding; as if she was trying to make up her mind on something. Naruto sat back on the chair and waited for Hanabi to say something. After about five minutes or so, Hanabi whispered, "Umm… thanks."

Naruto awkwardly nodded his head and turned his attention toward the cup in her hand, still not sure what to say. After some serious consideration, Naruto decided he would pay Hinata a visit and come back later when he knew what to say. Naruto was about to go close the door behind him, but stopped when Hanabi called him. He stuck his head back in the door and asked, "You want something?"

Hanabi looked at him somberly and asked, "Why?"

Naruto replied by giving her a puzzled look.

"Why did you help me? Why did you come back?" Hanabi asked.

Naruto gave her a slight smile and said, "I'll tell you why when I find the answer myself." He then closed the door behind him and left Hanabi to muse about it.

Naruto sighed and made his way towards Hinata's room. He was hoping that someone else would be there with him so she wouldn't ask him any awkward questions. He wanted to make this as quick as possible. He would pop in, ask if she was okay and disappear. He would ask why she did that to her sister later.

Naruto approached Hinata's door. Taking a deep breath he knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

"Are you going in or not? You're wasting valuable space." a voice coolly said behind him.

Naruto froze. He knew that voice very well and hated the person it belonged to. Naruto turned around and stepped to the side to see Hiashi Hyuuga giving him a look of disapproval. Naruto returned the gesture by giving the man a look of antipathy. He really hated the man and his hands itched to punch him in the face.

"Why are you here? Don't you have enough people at your estate to scare?" Naruto asked as calmly and coolly as he could. He didn't want the Hyuuga to know he got under his skin.

"It's none of your business. And obviously I'm here to check on my daughter." Hiashi replied grimly.

Naruto cocked his head to the side and in a sarcastic, mocking manner replied, "Oh-My-Gosh! He does have a heart."

Hiashi took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. Of all the people in the village, Hinata chose this one as a friend. How he yearned to beat the hell out of the boy. At one point in time, Hiashi was thinking of having the boy assassinated. But as he had thought about it more, he realized that it was hopeless. The boy had been protected by every hokage in the village from the third and up, including the two sannin. Hiashi ignored the comment, rudely shoved past Naruto and made his way down the hall Naruto had emerged from.

"Where are you going? Hinata's room is right here." Naruto asked him somewhat perplexed.

Hiashi calmly replied, "I know her room is there you abomination. She isn't my only daughter. Besides I might admit you into the hospital myself if I am to be in the same room with you."

Naruto laughed and retorted "You wish you could hag-woman." Hiashi disregarded Naruto and proceeded towards Hanabi's room.

Hinata quickly turned her head when she realized she was gazing at Naruto instead of the door. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice when he opened the door.

"Should I come back later?" Naruto cheerily asked, hoping she said yes.

"No y you can stay" Hinata heard herself say. She didn't have the heart to tell him go. Besides she was lonely, her only company was the nurse who gave her medicine and she didn't even like her. She had a creepy cackle and a sinister hairstyle that terrified Hinata.

"You feel okay?" Naruto asked wanting to clear things up with Hinata before anything else awkward happen. The quicker he explained what really had happened, the quicker he could leave and resume his life. He wouldn't even be in here if it wasn't for Sakura. He would've used Jiraiya's tactic to avoid and evade. Then he wouldn't have to talk to Hinata at all. Of course he suggested this to Sakura but she was like, 'Naruto! How can you be so selfish? Think of how Hinata must feel. Now go upstairs and talk to her' so here he was, confronting with this gauche problem.

"I only came to see how you were doing and to explain what really happened between me and Hanabi in Tsunade's office." Naruto said, getting straight to the point and making himself comfortable in a chair next to Hinata's bed. Hinata let out a sigh of relief and said, "Oh. I thought you c came to ask me w why I attacked Hanabi."

Naruto shook his head and replied, "Whatever grudge you have against your sister is none of my business."

"Oh, okay." Hinata whispered, face red from embarrassment.

"Anyway, what had happened was," Naruto started, "Granny Tsunade left Hanabi a note stating that she makes sure I take the needle but I didn't want to. I started running away because Hanabi was chasing me with the needle but I tripped over a flower pot and Hanabi tripped over the same flower pot and fell right on top of me." Naruto paused to take a breath and Hinata motioned for him to continue, figuring there was more to it than that. After a few seconds of putting his thoughts together Naruto continued, "We started struggling on the floor and by some amazing feat, she pinned me to the floor. And then she…err…um...did something and I couldn't move so she took advantage of the moment and stick me with the needle. And that's when you guys came in." Naruto nervously gnawed the inside of his cheek, hoping Hinata wouldn't ask any question about it.

"You're still not mad at us right?" Naruto asked anxiously.

"Us?" Hinata asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, me 'n' Hanabi." Naruto stated.

"I'm n not mad at you." Hinata answered, trying not to sound pissed. _Where the hell did 'me 'n' Hanabi' come from. That floozy already has him saying their name as if they're an item. I have to stop this madness before she crosses the line_. Hinata thought as her gripped tightened on the bedrail.

"So we're cool right?" Naruto asked professing a smile.

Hinata smiled at him and replied, "Yeah we're c cool. But I thought you were mad at me because I attacked Hanabi."

"Why did you think I was mad at you for that?" Naruto asked, clearly baffled.

"You kind of gave me a cold look before you left." Hinata replied, staring down into her lap.

Naruto place one hand beneath Hinata's chin and gently raised her head so she was looking in his face.

Naruto smiled at her and said, "I didn't mean anything behind it. I guess I was just a little mad that you attacked her. She was just trying to shut me up."

_That little bitch has him defending her now. Oh Now she has crossed the line._ Hinata thought.

Naruto let his hand fall to his side when he saw hate and anger flashed in her eyes for a second. "I mean she did provoke you. But I'm not mad at you." Naruto hastily added.

Hinata muttered something and started cracking her knuckles. _ Is that a new habit because it's creepy watching you do it._ Naruto thought as he took a step back.

"Well…," Naruto started, "Sakura's waiting on me so I better get going."

Naruto started toward the door.

"Umm, Naruto-kun c can I ask you a question before you go?" Hinata asked shyly.

"Sure, ask away." Naruto answered eager to leave.

"I'm kind of embarrassed to ask you this," Hinata said, "but do you find my sister attractive?"

Naruto almost choked on the air he was inhaling. He knew one of those awkward questions would come soon. And to think he was so close in being in the clear.

"Well…jeez Hinata." Naruto stammered. _ I'd eat my left arm before I answer that. Someone please come rescue me._ Naruto thought as he tried to answer her without actually answering her question.

"Well do you?" Hinata repeated fervently.

"I …um…well she's- why? Do you think I think she's attractive?' Naruto asked.

Hinata wasn't prepared for that.

"Well I-,"

"Naruto I'm leaving now." Sakura interrupted as she poked her head in the door. "Oh hello Hinata. Are you feeling-,"

"Well look at that," Naruto shouted, "Sorry Hinata, but I promised Sakura I would help her with something before her guest came home."

"Naruto what are you talking about. I don't have any gu-," Naruto clamped his hand over Sakura's mouth, pushed her out the door and followed her.

"See you around Hinata." Naruto shouted as he quickly closed the door behind him and dragged Sakura down the hall.

"What the hell was that all about?" Sakura asked, wiping off her mouth.

"She asked me a question I didn't really want to answer." Naruto answered hastily. "Now let's get out of here before she comes out of her room." And so Naruto and Sakura left the hospital.

Hinata sat puzzled in her room trying to figure what just happened. Then it hit her that Naruto never answered her question. Feeling a sudden surge of anger, Hinata kicked over her food tray and picked up a ceramic teacup from the debris. She then threw it at the door where it crashed into the doorframe, missing her father's face by a few centimeters as he walked into the room. Hinata picked up something else to hurl at the door but dropped it when she realized who was standing in the doorway.

"You weren't aiming at me by any chance were you?" Hiashi asked frigidly.

"N no, father." Hinata stammered as her anger dropped in seconds of looking into her father's eyes.

Hiashi crossed the room and glanced out the window. "Hanabi told that you attacked her."

"So what? I would've killed her to if it wasn't for Naruto." Hinata shouted, suddenly feeling anger boiling up in her again. Hiashi was taken aback at the outburst. "That is so like you!" Hinata continued, "You always put Hanabi before me despite me being heir."

"Who do you think you're talking to young lady?!" Hiashi shouted, matching Hinata's tone.

Hinata sat up straight so she could look him in the eye. "I'm talking to a self-centered coward." Hinata answered. "That's right. I called you a coward. Ever since mother died giving birth to Hanabi, you've pushed me aside. I went through most of my childhood thinking that I wasn't good enough to be your child. So I worked my ass off trying to please you and prove to you that you were wrong. But regardless of how hard I worked, of how many things I have achieved that raised the power of the Hyuuga name, I never seemed to catch your eye. And so I wondered if something was wrong with me. But then Neji showed me a picture of you and mom and that's when it hit me. You kept me at a distance because I remind you to much of mom. You never got over her death. You can't deny it. You yourself know what I'm saying is true."

Hinata watched her father braced himself against the window pane as a storm of emotion took over his face.

"You have no right to say that. I'll tell you why I pushed you away. It was because you were too weak and pathetic to live up to the Hyuuga name." Hiashi snapped.

Hinata snorted and replied, "That's bull and you know it. If I'm so weak and pathetic to live up to the Hyuuga name, then why is your so called 'true heir' suffering from more damage than me? And you know what else I figured out, that you're afraid. That's why you've been so hard on me lately. You've been afraid ever since I became a jounnin. You're afraid of losing your control over me, which you have by the way. I'm not afraid of you anymore. I can stand on even ground with you now and that's the truth you're running from."

Hiashi laughed and said, "You're weak and pathetic. You've always have been and nothing you can say can change that. I'm not afraid of you. In fact you're afraid yourself. You want to believe those words that you can stand on even footing with me but you can't because you yourself know that you're to weak and pathetic to do it."

Hinata lay back down in her bed and replied, "If you want to believe that crap you're saying go ahead, I won't. But you wait and see I'm going to destroy you from the inside out."

"Are you threatening me Hinata?" Hiashi asked quietly, giving her his famous glare that made most people tremble. Except that it wasn't working on Hinata at the moment.

Hinata simply replied, "No, it's not a threat. It's a promise. Now remove yourself out of my presence."

Now this pissed Hiashi off. No one ever dared to order him around. Hiashi slowly walked to the foot of Hinata's bed and said, "Who do you think you're talking to? I order you not the other way around."

Hinata smirked, "From now on, it's the other way around. You must've forgotten. I'm 21 now and since I'm heir I can claim my position as head of the clan at any moment I choose. Besides, you lost your power and authority over me when you pushed me away and embraced Hanabi. Now leave my room before I summon security personnel to escort you out of my room and off the premises." For a moment Hiashi was dumbfounded, he couldn't think of anything to say or do.

"We will discuss this later." Hiashi said as he exited Hinata's room, slamming the door behind him.

"Good riddance." Hinata shouted at the door. _It's going to be easy to destroy him when I take over and the only setback is that thing they pass as my sister, but I can take care of that._ Hinata thought as the medicine worked its magic and put her to sleep.

Hinata rolled over as a hand caress her cheek. "When will you show this bold side of yourself to me?" A voice fondly said. After a few seconds the person placed a kiss on Hinata's forehead and whispered, "Sweet dreams." And with that the person disappeared through the window just as a nurse came in to check up on Hinata.

_At the Hyuuga Estate_

"This was bound to happen, Hiashi." The elder said smiling. "It was just the matter of timing is all. Hinata has been planning this for years. I'm just surprise she hadn't executed her plan the day she turned 21."

"You knew about this." Hiashi said fuming.

"Of course I knew. I know everything that goes on in this estate. You'd be surprise to at most of the things that go on. Her plan at first was only to force you into an early retirement, but she added a few things to her agenda." The elder said, fluffing her hair. "I must say though, when she becomes clan leader she's going to break all traditions."

"You mean _if_ she becomes clan leader." Hiashi said, rubbing his temple in an effort to calm his nerves.

The elder chuckled, "I meant it when I said when. Her plan is almost flawless."

"I don't suppose you want to tell me her plan?" Hiashi asked.

The elder cackled and replied, "Nope, but I will tell you that the only flaw in her plan is her sister. Ah. A female clan leader. A dream come true."

Hiashi rolled his eyes and headed toward his room. _Damn, I intended to be clan leader for a few more years to come. I can get rid of her, but it'll be risky._

**Well that's it for now. Please review. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible.**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the long wait

**Sorry for the long wait. I was on a sudden hiatus. Hope you like it. R&R plzzzzzzz!**

**P.S.: Forgive me for it being short. This was a slam bam chapter. I'd forgotten where I left off.**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**

Chapter Five

"I have good news for you Hyuuga-san."

Hanabi winced as the overly jubilant nurse re-bandaged her arm. Five days in the hospital had made her snappy, miserable, and bored as hell. The only thing that occupied her time was trying to figure out who sent the two bouquets of flowers four days ago. She had woken up one morning and there were a dozen yellow roses by her window. The roses startled her and she wondered who sent them because as far as she knew she had no friends and her family didn't care enough about her to send her flowers. She didn't bother to ask the nurses because she thought they were too nosy for their own good. So she dwelled in the fact that somebody appreciated her; it was nice to know that someone cared. She glanced at them again and immediately winced; they hurt her eyes if she looked at them to long. They were like a tiny sun constantly radiating sunshine. Even when she went to sleep in the night it hurt to look at them.

The day after she got the yellow roses, a dozen black chrysanthemums were delivered to her door with a card that read: _Die wench!_ She had a nasty feeling that they were from Hinata. The nurse patted her freshly bandaged arm; Hanabi had almost forgotten the nurse was there.

"Anyway, you're being released today. And you can take this cast off in an hour." The nurse said smiling, "Try not to come again okay." Hanabi nodded her head and the nurse left the room.

"Cheery bitch." Hanabi muttered. She rubbed her newly bandaged arm and looked at the two sets of roses. She picked up her sister's card, planning something she could add and send it back. She turned it over, there was more writing. It read: _P.S. I'm going to tell everyone you molest me in my sleep!_ Hanabi found herself laughing at the absurdity of the card. Sometimes, she really thought her sister was mentally challenged. The door to her room opened and for a fleeting second she was hoping it would be the sexy blonde idiot she couldn't stand. He was haunting her thoughts for the past couple of days. She was kind of disappointed and quite frightened when Tsunade walked – no - entered the room. Hanabi couldn't say the hokage walked into the room; she'd be lying. People, who were five feet seven inches tall, walked with aristocratic grace, rumored to be incredibly strong and radiated so much power that crowd's part before them don't walk into a room; they entered. Her heart beat sped up by a mile and a half when she saw that the sexy blonde she couldn't stand followed the godaime, and then it dropped a notch when her father appeared a few seconds behind the blonde.

She stole a glance at Naruto, saw the frown on his face and switched from being ignorantly relaxed to cautiously alert. Donning on her impassive face, she sat upright in the bed and pondered about what they were here for.

Naruto walked over to the window and glanced outside. It was an interesting day. Sunny yet cloudy, noisy yet quiet. From the window he spotted the ramen stand where he was eating his third bowl of ramen for the day. He had ordered a fourth bowl and was about to suck it down but Tsunade had plucked him from the stand and dragged him here. With his face hidden from the people in the room, he silently grieved for his abandoned bowl of ramen; which probably dumped. Oh well, he thought, he'd just get five bowls for dinner instead of his customary four. He studied Hanabi from the corner of his eye and images of playing doctor and nurse popped in his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He blamed Jiraiya for corrupting his mind. He examined the room and smiled when he spotted the yellow roses. "Oh, you got the flowers." Naruto said motioning towards the little bundle of sunshine sitting next to Hanabi. "I figured yellow would be bright enough to make your eyes hurt, and since you like to examine things to the point, make you go blind."

Hanabi blushed and fought down a giggle. "Yeah thanks. Almost worked." At some point in her tenure at the hospital, her diminishing dislike for Naruto had completely vanished and was replaced with interest and fascination.

Hanabi studied the room. Tsunade sat in the only chair, which was at the foot of the bed, with her father standing next to her, while the main actor in her twisted fantasies leaned against the wall, next to the window.

Tsunade suddenly sat up in the chair and crossed her legs, immediately capturing everyone's undivided attention. She stared at Hanabi with light golden-bronze eyes and smirked when the girl started to toy with her hair. It was fun making people squirm. Leaning forward in the chair she said, "So I went back to my office, found it quite clean, and told myself that you two", she tilted her head towards Naruto, "did a damn good job. But imagine my surprise when I found out that you were in the hospital and my two ANBU guards cleaned the office." She sat back in her chair. "Care to tell me what happened?"

Hanabi swallowed and replied, "We did clean your office but ah, a problem arose and the guards had to clean the office back up."

"Was this problem the reason you were admitted into the hospital?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes Tsunade-sama" Hanabi replied slowly.

"Would you care to tell us the nature of this problem? How it began and if it was solved?" This time the questions came from Hiashi.

Hanabi looked at the hokage and swallowed again when she motioned with her hand to answer the question. If she said what really had happened, her father would punish her when she got home; which wasn't the standard grounding but a whole lot worse, yet she couldn't lie to the hokage.

"It's my fault." Naruto suddenly said, drawing their attention. He glanced at Hanabi and sent her an encouraging smile.

Hiashi narrowed his eyes towards him. "Do explain."

Naruto walked from the window, stood next to Hanabi, and faced Hiashi and Tsunade. In the few seconds he took to walk next to Hanabi, he had made up a fairly plausible story. "You see," he started, sounding sophisticated, "A chunin had a grudge against me; apparently it started from the exams, saw me in the office and attacked me." He laid a hand on Hanabi's shoulder. "She tried to stop the fight but, sadly, got injured trying to do so."

Hanabi bit her tongue as he told them 'what really happened'. She felt his fingers press on her clavicle and she nodded her head at the two people questioning them, making his story appear truthful.

Hiashi knew it was a cover up story, and was going to expose them. He nodded at them and said, "If that's true, how did Hinata end up next door to Hanabi? She wasn't returning from a mission, and from what I've heard, she was in that office."

Naruto thought for a second, sensing Hiashi was trying to bait him into a trap. After half a second he replied, "Coincidently, she was running an errand for Sakura, wherein she had to come by the office. She saw us fighting, and being the kind-hearted soul she is, she tried to stop it and got caught in the cross fire; where she got injured."

Slick was all Hiashi could think of. "If that's true, how come when I visited Hanabi the day she was admitted and queried how she got here she told me that she was in a fight with Hinata?" Lie your way out of that you miscreant, Hiashi thought smirking.

Naruto thought for a second and replied, "If I'm correct, which most likely I am, Hanabi went into ER wherein, I assume, that they pumped her full of painkillers; which, when used with other medicines, have numerous side effects, for example hallucinating. Am I not right?" He turned towards Tsunade.

"He has a point'" Tsunade replied. So far she was enjoying the subtle fight between Naruto and Hiashi, it was quite interesting. She had to give Naruto some points for making his story credible. They both knew it was false but it was fun to listen to him add twists and turns that countered Hiashi's factual points. She should do the responsible and moral thing and tell Naruto she knew he was lying as she heard the story from Sakura already, but what fun would that be? Instead, she let them carry on. Besides, from what she'd heard, the girl needed some slack.

Hiashi scowled at Naruto as his temper broke free. "We both know that you're lying. Just say the truth, your punishment wouldn't be as strict."

Naruto scowled at Hiashi, "I'm not lying."

"Yes you are."

"How would you know?" Naruto countered "You weren't in the office with us."

Hanabi looked back and forth between Naruto and her father, the both of their tempers, reaching breaking point. She figured if Tsunade and she weren't there in the room, they'd fly at each other. She'd give her whole right arm to watch that fight.

Hiashi opened his mouth but closed it. He didn't trust himself to speak to the boy as he would have said something crude and embarrassed himself in front of the hokage.

"Well," Tsunade started standing up. She'd had fun but it was time for her to get back to work. "Now that that's over we can all get on with our lives. Naruto, report to my office at 0700 sharp tomorrow." And with that Tsunade made her way to the door.

"Hokage-sama, you don't mean you actually believe such nonsense?" Hiashi asked, flummoxed.

Tsunade paused and dramatically turned to face Hiashi. "It's credible enough, and besides I don't have enough time to get to the bottom of this. Some of us actually have work to do." She turned back around and opened the door.

Hiashi stared daggers at her back and muttered under his breath.

"Hmm? You said something?" Tsunade said fixing her gaze on Hiashi, daring him to answer.

"Nothing." Hiashi said, looking at the ground.

Tsunade winked at Hanabi and left the room, closing the door behind her. She noticed the quick furtive glances exchanged between Naruto and Hanabi and pondered about what would become of it. Once Naruto was happy with the outcome, she thought while heading towards her office, it didn't matter.

"I'll deal with you when you get home." Hiashi said, arrogantly walking out the door.

Hanabi sighed when the door closed behind him. She didn't dare think about what would happen to her when she got home. She'd probably get grounded and sentenced to a week of solitary confinement. Which was a week in a dark dank hole in the ground with only enough food to last for four days. The only company down in the metal cell was rats and other pests. The guards who kept watch of the hole were instructed to throw cold water down the hole every hour. So not only were you starved and terrified of the things that lurked in the dark, you were wet to. It was designed in such a way that you couldn't get out unless someone lifted the gate and threw down rope for you to climb out. She had spent a week in there before. Two days inside of confinement she'd had a mental and nervous breakdown. By the time her sentence was up, the guards had to fetch her and immediately take her to the medics they had on the estate. She shivered at the memory. It was at that time that she learnt how cruel her great clan was.

She ran her hand through her hair and jolted when her thumb brushed Naruto's hand. She'd almost forget he was there.

"That was fun." Naruto said, walking back to the window. He spotted Hiashi walking on the sidewalk and wished he had some shuriken to throw at his head.

"You fucking _idiot_! Do you know what you just did?"

Naruto jolted and turned around, staring incredulously at Hanabi, who was staring daggers at him, temper flaring.

"I just saved your ass." Naruto replied, thinking she looked cute when she got mad. It was then that he decided to give in to the idea that was plaguing him for the last few days.

"No you did not." Hanabi said moving to the edge of the bed. "You just put me in more trouble." Naruto merely shrugged and walked back to the bed, with a smirk on his face. Hanabi saw his smirk and her temper just escalated. "You think this is amusing? No it's not. You have no idea how cruel my father can be. You fool, he knows you lied and when I get home he's going to…" Hanabi was cut off mid rant when Naruto pulled her towards him. Naruto brushed his lips over hers and her mind blanked out.

"You're cute when you're mad." Naruto whispered and kissed her again, harder this time. He gently pushed her head back and she fell back on the bed. "See you later." And with that said he jumped out the window.

Hanabi stared at the ceiling, her mind slowly returning to its senses. Did that idiot just kiss me? More importantly, did I like it?

She thought for a moment. Hell yeah!

A nurse opened the door. "Hyuuga-san, you're cleared to leave, just sign these forms."

Hanabi turned her head towards the nurse, "Wha?"

The nurse frowned, "Your release form?"

Hanabi jolted out of her daze and sat up. The nurse handed her the form. She signed the bottom and gave it back. The nurse smirked at her, and left. She licked her lips and went into the bathroom to change her clothes. She'd figure out what to do after she went home and suffered from her father's punishments.

End of Chapter Five

**Forgive me for being late. I have no excuse; I'm just a lazy sucker. Hoped you liked it, I didn't think it was as good as the other ones. R&R plzzz.**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto walked up the steps to his apartment, thinking about Hanabi

**Yay! Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. R&R plzzzz. ******** Thank you so much for the reviews. (They made me feel so special.) ******

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**

Chapter Six

Hiashi stormed through the estate like a nasty hurricane, hurling insults, reprimands, and punishments toward any random Hyuuga who had the poor misfortune to be in his way.

"Get me Neji!" Hiashi ordered bursting through the door of the main house, shouting at a new servant. He walked through the foyer, into the hall, knocked a vase over, and went back into the foyer. "Why the hell are you still here?!" The confused, now terrified, servant dropped the tray she was carrying on the floor and bolted out of the door, heading towards the branch family.

Hiashi glared at the mess on the floor and kicked it. How dare that boy lie for Hanabi? He stormed down the hall towards the kitchens. He'd noticed the quick furtive glances Naruto was sending toward Hanabi and it pissed him off. He'd tried to keep Hinata from associating with him, even going as far as forbidding her to talk to him, but her compassionate side made their meeting inevitable. He'd be damn if he let the boy corrupt Hanabi. He stalked over to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water and paced around the beige and black marble island, in an attempt to calm himself down. He paused when he noticed the servants in the kitchen staring at him. He glared at them. "Get out! Stop whatever you're doing and get out!" The servants stared at him, trying to figure out if he was serious. If he sent them out now that would mean dinner for the entire estate would be late. (Everyone in the estate ate dinner at the same time.) The head cook, a burly old woman with hair so white it matched her eyes, stepped towards Hiashi.

"Hiashi-sama, you can't possibly mean to tell us get out." The cook started wiping her hand on her green apron, which matched the green seal on her forehead. "That would mean dinner would be late." The other cooks and servants in the kitchen stared at her in awe; they couldn't believe the old cook was standing up to one of the main branch members, Hiashi no less. The members of the main branch had a tendency to use the seal as a form of quick punishment and amusement on innocent and unsuspecting branch relatives.

Hiashi stared at the old cook in shock. "Excuse me? You're disobeying an order?"

"Yes I am." The old cook straightened her posture and raised her chin defiantly in the air. "Dinner hasn't been late in the main branch since I became head cook. I've been head cook for twenty nine years. I'll be damn if dinner is served late because you're throwing a tantrum."

Hiashi glared at the cook and became angrier when she didn't even flinch. "Get out."

"Hell to the no."

Hiashi raised his hand to form the cursed seal hand sign. "Try it Hiashi," the cook said drawing a stained butcher knife from out of her apron, "and goddamnit we'll fight to the damn death in this kitchen."

"Uncle!"

Everyone turned to see Neji standing in the doorway, leaning on the door, his chest heaving. He took in a breath and walked toward Hiashi and the cook.

"Please forgive him Mameha-baa-sama," Neji said bowing to the cook, "He's had a trying day. Don't mind him; please do get back to work."

The cook made a rude noise and went back to her stove. Hiashi opened his mouth to say something but Neji pulled him out of the kitchen. His uncle could be a handful at times. He wouldn't know what the branch family would do if he wasn't around to deal with Hiashi when he threw one of his 'temper fits'; according to Hiashi grown men didn't have tantrums. They entered the courtyard and Neji motioned to the people who were lingering around to leave. Some hesitated but after they glanced at Hiashi they vanished.

"Now," Neji started, sitting on a bench that was under a magnificent oak tree, "you should know better than to pick a fight with Mameha-baa-sama. You know how she goes."

Hiashi narrowed his eyes at Neji and ignored the mild reprimand he just received. "It's my damn kitchen."

Neji sighed and shook his head at his uncle. He'd been pampering Tenten when a servant from the main branch pounded on his door, shouting that Hiashi was having tantrum and requested him. He'd fly to the main branch in fear and panic. The last time Hiashi threw a tantrum all the servants, except Mameha, were on the floor, either unconscious or writhing in pain clutching their foreheads. He'd had to call in Sakura to help with the injured as the medic ninja they had on the estate had their hands full. After the council was nursed back to health, they'd sentence Hiashi to anger management sessions; which did more harm than good. He grimaced at the memory. He glanced at Hiashi, and was relieved when he saw that his temper was receding.

"So what coerced you to grace us with your temper?" Neji asked quickly, wanting to get back to Tenten. He didn't want to leave her alone in her state. She was in her final trimester. In a couple more months he'd be a happy father of two.

Hiashi frowned at Neji. "I won't hold you up. I know you want to get back to Tenten." Hiashi still couldn't wrap his mind around the idea that his nephew was married and a father-to-be. Hiashi turned to face Neji, face impassive. "Tell me exactly what you heard about Hinata and Hanabi."

Neji donned his impassive face. Hinata had told Neji what happened herself and she made him promise not to tell Hiashi. If Hiashi found out that Hinata beat the hell out of Hanabi, he'd have her sealed, and despite how Hinata acted towards her sister, she really wanted to spare Hanabi the pain of being sealed. He knew Hanabi told Hiashi that Hinata attacked her but; Hinata had told him to tell Hiashi that Naruto broke up the fight.

"Well?' Hiashi insisted.

"Hinata attacked Hanabi and Naruto stopped it before anything serious happened." Neji said, keeping his promise.

Hiashi narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Neji. "You're sure?"

"Yes. It's what I heard." Neji replied. "Why?"

"The council is pressuring me to retire as clan leader and let one of them take over." Hiashi said grimly. "I need to know which one is stronger. I assumed you would know."

"I honestly don't know." Neji said lying through his teeth. He glanced at his uncle and saw, for the first time, the scattering of gray in his hair and the ever so slight creases in his face that marked his age. "I thought Hinata was next in line."

Hiashi sat back and frowned, "Because she was the first born, she is, rightfully, next in line. But I renounced her as heir a few years ago."

Neji stared at his uncle in disbelief. This was news to him. "When was this?"

Hiashi turned his head away from Neji. "It was a private decision made by myself and approved by the council."

"Why would you do that?" Neji prompted in a casual tone, trying not to sound disappointed.

"She wasn't showing the strength she has now." Hiashi replied standing up. "And Hanabi had accomplished far more than Hinata at the time."

"So why didn't you seal Hinata?"

A flash of guilt washed over Hiashi's face. "One of the elders told me to wait, that she had great potential if she applied herself."

Neji was glad that he did. "So who are you choosing?"

"I honestly don't know." Hiashi said, "I want Hanabi to be clan leader but I can see Hinata as clan leader also."

Neji thought for a second, and then asked. "Why do you want Hanabi as leader?"

"Because she's traditional." Hiashi quickly said turning his face away from Neji, hiding the real reason why he wanted Hanabi as leader.

"In other words," Neji said clearly seeing Hiashi's main reason, "You can control Hanabi but not Hinata."

"I have no clue what you're talking about." Hiashi said trying to avoid eye contact with his nephew.

"That if Hanabi became leader you would still run the clan because you can manipulate her." Neji stated.

"I could never hide anything from you. You get that from your father. He saw through everything." Hiashi said smiling. "If I had my way I'd name you leader. You're the strongest and one of the wisest in the clan."

Neji smiled for an instant and reverted back to his impassive state. Hiashi had told him that before but Neji never really believed him. Still, it was nice to know that he could've been clan leader.

"I have to name the new leader at the next meeting," Hiashi stated walking back to the kitchen. "I want you to be there, your vote has considerable weight. Its in two months so stay free."

Neji opened his mouth to ask a question but closed and let Hiashi walk off. He'd have to warn Hinata and Hanabi. He'd warn Hinata first though. He thought Hinata would be the better leader. Besides, the position was rightfully hers to begin with. He didn't think Hanabi had the patience or the dedication to be a leader. But nevertheless, he'd tell the both of them.

He followed Hiashi's steps into the kitchen and was pleased to find out that all was in order. He turned the corner and walked into Hanabi.

"Watch where you're going, you asshole." Hanabi said reflexively before looking at who walked into her.

"Aren't we in a pleasant mood today?" Neji said picking up the bag she was carrying.

"Neji!" Hanabi exclaimed. She turned her head in embarrassment. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." Neji handed over her bag. "If you're not busy could you and Hinata pass by me tomorrow? I have something I need to talk to you two about. It's quite important."

Hanabi nodded and watched Neji walk off. She wondered what Neji wanted. She'd think about it later. Right now all she could think of and wanted to think of was Naruto. She floated unnoticed to her room on a cloud of fantasies. She fell out of her cloud when she saw a note lying on her bed. She picked it up and read it.

_Meet me on the training grounds_

_in the forest at seven_

_We don't want Hanabi following you like the last time_

_So take a complex route and stick to the shadows_

_Don't be late!_

"What?" Hanabi read the note again, perplexed. She glanced around the room, saw a jacket carelessly thrown on the bed, and realized that she was in Hinata's room; she must've taken a wrong turn. She scanned the note again, committed it to memory and quickly exited Hinata's room- just in time to as she was coming up the stairs.

"Neji wants to talk to you." Hanabi told her.

"What for?" Hinata asked.

"How the hell should I know?"

Hinata eyed the cast on her sister's arm, guilt washing over her. "When does that come off?"

Hanabi scowled at her sister, anger boiling up in her. "I was supposed to take it off an hour ago."

"Well fix your face before you have to put one on the next arm." Hinata sneered.

Hanabi opened her room door, her temper threatening to break free. She wanted to punch Hinata in the face so bad but was in no condition to deal with the events that would follow; instead she decided to irritate her. "You know why I wasn't able to take this off?"

Hinata narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Hanabi "Entertain me."

"Well," Hanabi started, edging into her room, "Naruto popped in. We were well on our way to finish what we started in the hokage's office, but the nurse was coming in and he jumped out the window." She pretended to study her nails, watching gleefully as Hinata went pale with anger. She figured she could irritate her some more, it was only fair. "Let me tell you, he's _very_ thorough with his hands. And he has quite the talent for kissing. He even-"

"LIES! I KILL YOU!"

Hanabi slammed her bedroom door, just in time, as Hinata threw several butcher knives at her. Hanabi stared at the points of several knives that were lodged halfway through her door. Where the hell she gets these from, she thought, making her way to her closet. She pulled out a kunai and started to hack away at the cast. The cast crumbled to pieces and she studied her arm. Due to a lack of exposure to light, it was a little paler than the rest of her body. She moved to get a muscle relaxer from her closet when she noticed the note lying on her pillow. The note was written in an orange ink so bright that it hurt her eyes. Nonetheless, she read it.

_Directions on back._

_Meet me there 7o'clock tonight._

_Naruto_

_P.S. – Don't hurt your head trying to figure out how I got in your room._

Hanabi read the note twice, excitement swelling up inside her. Dinner was at seven, and after dinner was when her father usually handed out his punishments. Was she really going to skip dinner and her punishment hearing just to go meet Naruto somewhere? Hell yeah! She glanced around the room suspiciously and slipped the note under her shirt. She glanced at the clock ticking on her wall: 6:00. She had enough time to get there. She walked over to her window. Her only problem now was getting off the estate without being noticed. She'd have to sneak through the branch family's "secret" tunnel that led out to the forest east of the estate. Tricky, as the tunnel was hidden in plain sight, but not impossible.

With her first problem solved she walked over to her closet to solve her second problem: what the hell she was going to wear? Glancing at the clock she dived into the deep crevasse of her closet, hoping to surface with something presentable to wear. She heard Hinata slam her door and thought for a second.

The note she read in Hinata's room had said seven also. She had to make a choice. She really wanted to follow Hinata and see who she was going to meet but, she really wanted to see Naruto again. Hanabi weighed her options. Follow Hinata into some forest and risk getting in some sort of fight or go meet Naruto in a secluded place, possibly get catch and end up in a shitload of trouble. Hmmm, she thought, both sounded potentially problematic. She decided to go meet Naruto for two reasons. One - it wasn't everyday some guy said they like her _and_ asked to meet her, and two, Naruto + secluded place endless possibilities. Hell yeah! She was definitely going to meet Naruto.

End of Chapter Six

**Hoped you liked it. I thought it was okay. I only wrote it so I could lay out the carpet for the next chapter. Review plzzz. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon.**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto walked up the steps to his apartment, thinking about Hanabi

**Yay! Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. R&R plzzzz.**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku **

Chapter Seven

Hanabi studied herself in the mirror and mentally patted herself on the back. She'd manage to assemble an outfit that was cute, sexy, and innocent in fifteen minutes; beating her previous record by a whole hour. She contemplated putting on lipstick but decided against it. If someone spotted her when she was sneaking out, and saw the lipstick, they'd assume things and start more rumors.

Hanabi glanced at the clock; 6:30. She had thirty minutes to sneak out the estate and get to Naruto. She'd shredded the note and burned the pieces. She had no need for it as she'd memorized the directions. With one last look in the mirror, she slid her foot in her shoes and slipped on a black cloak. The cloak was necessary; she'd never make it out of the estate if anyone saw what she was wearing. Grabbing her ninja gear, Hanabi locked her door and jumped out her window.

Hinata made her way down the hall. She had an appointment at seven. The success of her plan to take over the estate depended heavily on the outcome of this meeting. Hinata scowled. If her father hadn't renounced her as heir she wouldn't have to go through all this trouble. That and if Hanabi wasn't born.

Hinata entered the dining room and was shocked to see that the room was empty save for a few servants. Usually her father was seated at the head of the old cedar table, Hanabi next to him on one side, Neji on the other side, and Hinata opposite Hiashi with a few elders scattered between them. But today the table stood lonely.

"Good evening miss Hinata. Will you be having dinner tonight?"

"Oh, good evening Mameha-baa-sama." Hinata said bowing to the cook. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Mameha replied, taking a seat. "Just old and tired."

"Umm where is everybody?' Hinata asked taking a seat next to her surrogate grandmother. Mameha sighed.

"Well Hiashi is having a secret emergency meeting with the council." Mameha said rolling her eyes; she knew any and every thing that went on in the estate. "So he and some of the other elders are skipping dinner. Neji's with Tenten so he's out, and one of the guards just told me little Hanabi sneaked out of the estate."

Hinata frowned at this. She couldn't risk having Hanabi follow her like last time. "She sneaked out?"

"Yep." Mameha said nodding her head. "Said she looked suspicious- moving fast and sticking to the shadows- and followed her to the edge of the branch family." Mameha smiled. "He also said he blinked and she vanished. He searched the entire estate and couldn't find her; nobody saw or heard her. She's getting craftier these days."

"Hanabi, moving with stealth?" Hinata asked herself, not quite believing it.

Mameha's smiled widened and her eyes twinkled. "I asked myself the same question. When has little Hanabi ever wanted to be unnoticed. I smell a scandal brewing." Mameha stood up. "I presume you're skipping dinner also?"

Hinata sent her a weak smile. "I'm very sorry Mameha-baa-sama but I've got a mission tonight."

Mameha smirked and narrowed her eyes suggestively at Hinata. "I didn't see any of the hokage's messenger nin today."

"I it's a p personal mission."

Mameha's smirked widen into a smile. "Well have fun and try not to wear yourself out too much now." She wiggled her eyebrows.

Hinata blushed at Mameha's innuendo.

"You can send my dinner to my room please. I'll be back around eleven." Hinata said.

"Oh sure that's no problem. I'll even stay up and warm it up for you. I'm quite sure you'll be starving after your 'mission'."

Hinata gave Mameha a half bow and dashed out of the room, leaving Mameha cackling about how red her face was."

_Somewhere on the Hyuuga estate_

"I have reason to believe that Hinata may try to eliminate Hanabi to ensure herself the position of clan leader." Hiashi told the occupants in the dimly lit room. He sat at the head of a small oval table. Because of poor lighting everybody's face was hidden by shadows, except Hiashi who sat directly underneath the only working light bulb.

"What do you propose we do about this threat?" One of the shadowed faces asked. "Confine her to the estate?"

"I think it will be in our best interest if we had her shadowed, for protection." Hiashi said, patiently waiting for their feedback.

"Why not confine her?" An elderly female voice asked.

Hiashi was well prepared to back up his motion. "We can't confine her because, one, Hinata will get suspicious, and two, it will be easier for Hinata to dispose of Hanabi if she's closer to her and can predict where she will be. It's been proven that Hanabi can be read like clockwork if restricted to a small area, so I need not go on."

"What's to stop Hinata from attacking her out of the estate?" the same lady asked again. "Wouldn't allowing Hanabi to roam freely as she does now make it easier for Hinata?"

"Actually it wouldn't." Hiashi started, facing the woman. "If you hadn't noticed Hanabi draws attention to herself, even when she doesn't want it."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Hiashi almost cursed. How could someone so wise be so dense? "It means that people are always watching her. She can't do anything without me knowing it."

"Really now? Then you should know by now that she sneaked off the estate." An old guy said. This gave rise to an outbreak of muttering and silent questioning.

Hiashi's jaw tensed. As far as he knew Hanabi was sulking in her room. He was going to have a little talk with his daughter, whenever he caught up with her. "No, I was not aware."

The old guy smirked. "So much for knowing her every move."

Hiashi tightened his fist under the table. How dare the council mock him? Didn't they know he had the power to kill them all? Hiashi smirked. He'll show them.

"Since you're so informed can you tell us where she's headed?" Hiashi asked the old man.

"I was only told that she got off the estate unnoticed." The old man, sensing that Hiashi was goading him, asked, "Are you sure you are capable of handling Hanabi?"

This question sent everyone's undivided attention to Hiashi. Hiashi smiled at the old man. "Of course I'm capable. Unlike you, I don't need to place spies around or ingratiate people to find out what she's _done_. You see, I'm so beyond you, I already know where she's headed and what she is _going to do._ The real question is, are _you_ capable of handling the estate's security?"

"What are you talking about?" The old man narrowed his eyes at Hiashi, who just smugly smirked.

Hiashi, for dramatic effects, folded his hands on the table and said, "How is it that two people, at different times, entered the estate, passed through the branch family, entered the main family, wrote notes and left it in both my daughter's rooms, and had enough time to go down to the kitchen to have a snack. And all of this went unnoticed by the guards. How did these two people breach security without you knowing? Do you care to explain?"

The old man lifted his chin proudly in the air, when everyone turned to look at him. He could feel the questions and reprimands silently being thrown at him. He'd be damn if he let Hiashi destroy the little power and dignity he had left. "If these people supposedly got past my security, how then do you know about them?"

Hiashi, satisfied he put the old man in his place, leaned back in his chair and said, "Because most of the time my Byakugan is always on. And I recognized two distinct chakra bodies, different than the average Hyuuga. I didn't pursue it any further because I assumed _you_ let them in for some purpose."

The old man, who was the former clan leader, looked Hiashi in the eye. "How is this relevant to the topic at hand?"

Hiashi sat back up. It was time to end this meeting. He was missing dinner and Mameha's passion fruit pie was on the menu. "It's relevant because if Hinata had sent someone to assassinate Hanabi, they would've succeeded. They'd have slipped right through our so-called impenetrable security."

"He has a point." An old lady said, "We need to wrap this up. I second Hiashi's motion; have Hanabi shadowed."

Hiashi smirked as the majority of the council agreed with his decision. They always did would he want in the end.

"Do you really think Hinata would assassinate Hanabi?" A cheery old voice asked.

Hiashi thought for a second, remembered the conversation He and Hinata shared in the hospital. "I wouldn't put it below her." Hiashi said grimly. "This meeting is adjourned." With this said everyone, except Hiashi, faded into the shadows and disappeared until the room was empty. Hiashi balanced his chin on the palm of his hand and stared at a portrait of Hinata hanging on the wall opposite him. Exactly what are you planning, oh daughter of mine?

_Somewhere in Konoha_

Hanabi stood in front of a giant iron gate that was shaped like a giant spiral. She glanced around and saw nothing but trees and moonlight. The only thing she saw through the gate was a wall of trees. The closest house was at _least_ two miles away, if she remembered correctly. This was one part of Konoha she'd never seen in her life, and she'd seen plenty. If something was to happen to her, she figured it'd be about a week before anyone found her body.

"You're kinda late –

The kunai came so fast that Naruto barely had time to catch it, much less dodge it.

"Paranoid much?" Naruto asked, holding the kunai between two fingers. He grinned and stood next to her. A small trickle of blood ran down the back of his hand, and glistened in the moonlight.

Hanabi flushed, spotted the trickle of blood on his hand. "What the hell? Why did you catch it?"

Naruto stared at the blood on his hand and wiped it on his shirt. "It's just a little scratch. Besides, you threw it to fast for me to dodge it." He held the kunai out to her.

Hanabi grimaced. "Ah, throw it way. I don't need it."

Naruto shrugged and pocketed it. "This wasn't to hard to find was it?" Naruto asked, while opening the gate. It opened with a little creak. Naruto turned, motioned for her to come, and stopped in his tracks.

Hanabi walked through the gate, which opened to reveal a small clearing. "What?" she said when she noticed Naruto staring at her.

"Any particular reason you're wearing a cloak on such a humid night as this?" Naruto asked.

She'd almost forgotten she was wearing the cloak. She smirked at him and dramatically took off the cloak, and flung it somewhere on the side.

"Wow!" Was all Naruto could say. He needed a few moments to take it all in. The first thing he noticed were the legs, which were encased with fashionably thin, off-white socks that stopped just on top of her knee. Then there was the mini black skirt that stopped barely to her mid thigh. This was then followed by a white shirt with dark red letters that said: CAUTION! Her ensemble was completed with a black mini long-sleeve jacket that stopped mid stomach. She'd given herself a few bangs and pulled the rest of her hair into a ponytail that stopped to the middle of her back. This was too much for him to bear. He scanned her again and felt the blood in his head migrate south. He was going to have a hard time resisting the urge to repeat what happened earlier in the hospital.

Hanabi gnawed on her lip when she realized Naruto was still staring at her. Maybe this wasn't the best thing she should have worn.

"What?" Hanabi asked slightly embarrassed. "It doesn't look good?" If he said yes she was going to go bury herself in small dark hole.

Naruto turned, beckoned her to follow, and set off down a path of night daisies.

Hanabi, mortified that he didn't answer, followed him. "Hey," She started, poking him in his back. "Don't ignore me. Answer the question."

In response Naruto quickened his pace, and Hanabi pursued.

Their shadows danced about them as they traversed the path. It sloped up a hill through a field of moonflowers and giant willow, cedar, and oak tress, leading to a cottage completely covered in vines and leaves. Moonlight filtered through the broad leaves of the trees, casting ominous shadows about the place.

Hanabi suddenly stopped in the middle of the field. The sudden beauty of the field captivated her.

"So…pretty,"

"I know right." Naruto whispered, suddenly behind her. She didn't even hear when he moved, if he moved at all. She turned to face him and he was staring at her with those deep blue eyes. A vivid memory of one of her fantasies flashed in her mind, and she couldn't help but blush.

The wind picked up and blew a few stray clouds, covering the moon. Hanabi looked into his eyes again. Instead of the calm and steady behind them, she saw a maelstrom - a struggle; and she became cautious.

"Hanabi…" Naruto said in a desperate tone.

"What?" She whispered. The calm and steady was no longer there. Instead, there was something she couldn't recognize; anger, lust, frustration? No. A combination, maybe?

"I really like you." He took a step towards her and she took a step in retreat. Her heart was fluttering. She was so not prepared for that. Those simple words could mean a lot. He took another step towards her and she took another step back. He smirked when her back hit the cool trunk of the giant cedar tree.

Hanabi's heartbeat increased. She didn't like the way her body was responding to the way he was looking at her. Who was she kidding? She liked it; she liked it a whole damn lot. Heck, she wanted him to do more than just look at her. He placed his hand on her cheek. It was warm against his hand, and tense. As if he was fighting to restrain his hand from pinning to her the tree. Her heart started beating at impossible speeds when the image of Naruto pinning her to the tree flashed in her mind. Her body wanted to take the next instinctive step, but the logic and common sense in her mind was fighting against it, and losing badly. It was like mentally resisting someone who is physically pulling you away. When he lightly brushed a thumb over her cheek the common sense and logic in her mind was T K O'd.

He gave her a teasing feather kiss, provoking unstable waters. She let out a frustrated growl, wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him to her. Looking into his eyes she kissed him, hard. Naruto responded by cupping his hand behind her neck, angling her mouth, effectively deepening the kiss.

And then they made hot passionate sekihan on the forest floor.

The End Of The Story

(I'm only kidding, I couldn't resist putting it there. )

Naruto ran his hands down her back, and she ran his hands up his shirt. He pressed himself harder to her and she responded by kissing him harder. It wasn't until she patted his back insistently that they broke apart for some air and much needed control.

"Well." Naruto gasped.

Hanabi looked at him incredulously. Never in her life had anyone kissed her like that before. It's a good thing that she ran out of air, she thought, or they would have done naughty things on the floor. She couldn't believe that just happened.

"Wow." Hanabi stated, catching her breath. She looked up at Naruto. She'd slid to the floor sometime after the kiss. He looked even more appealing to her now that she'd messed up his hair a bit. She rubbed her temples, in an attempt to clear her mind and settle her nerves.

"I so want to kiss you again," Naruto started, making her feel all tingly inside. "but I don't think that's so wise right now."

Hanabi slowly stood up, nodding her head in agreement. "I can't believe that just happened." She stated.

"I know right." Naruto chuckled. He was more attracted to her now than ever. He studied her. Her hair was ruffled and her face was flushed. Through in the puffy lips and the way she was provocatively leaning against the tree, and he might not be able to restrain himself. "You're a poor liar."

"What?" Hanabi asked. That particular statement yanked her out of her thoughts and back to reality. "What did you just say?"

Naruto smiled wickedly. He'd successfully distracted them both from thinking too hard about what just happened, and he was about to irritate Hanabi. For some odd reason, he'd grown to like irritating her. It made her more appealing to him.

"I said you are a poor liar, and the moment ago just proved it." Naruto said, walking back up to the cabin.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Hanabi asked, flummoxed.

Naruto stopped suddenly and turned around to face her. "I distinctly remember at the beginning of this story," He pointed a finger at her. "you stating that I was ugly and repulsive. And now you're attracted to me."

Hanabi blushed and raised her chin defiantly in the air. "I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about."

"It's okay," Naruto said, grinning. "Don't try to deny it."

Mortified, Hanabi shouted, "Just shut up! What the hell did you bring me here for anyway? I could be doing other important stuff right now."

Naruto smirked, "Then why the hell did you come?" She was getting pissed but she wasn't angry yet.

Hanabi paused. No witty remark was popping in her head. "Then what the hell did you bring me here for?"

"Use your empty head." Naruto smirked when her eyes narrowed and she started poking him painfully in the chest. Maybe it wasn't so wise to have an angry Hyuuga poking him in the chest.

"Listen here idiot," Hanabi started. She didn't get far in her rant because Naruto kissed her and tripped her, and in a reflex action, she grabbed on to him and he fell on top of her.

Hanabi stared up at him. She'd kind of gotten use to his weight on top of her. "Why are you always on top?" Hanabi asked, grinning. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stay mad at him.

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice stated. "why are you _always_ on top Naruto?"

Naruto and Hanabi groaned in unison. And to make things even worse another voice asked.

"So the rumors were true?"

Hanabi sighed. She'd bet her whole right arm her that she and Naruto were going to be the hot topic tomorrow. They might even mention them on Konoha Entertainment.

End of Chapter Seven

**Once again, sorry for the long wait. I'm swamped with school work. Senior year is bitch. Well R&R again. I'll have the next chapter out as soon as possible. ETA: in a couple weeks.**

**Shippu jinraikyaku**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you for your reviews, however helpful and good or bad they were. Hope you like this chapter.**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**

Chapter Eight

Naruto stayed where he was, on top of Hanabi. He lowered his head to one side of her head and whispered, "Maybe if we keep still, or pretend to be dead, they'll go away."

Hanabi snickered. "Get off of me." She pushed him off and stood up. She faced her tormentor. "Why is it that you are conveniently popping up?"

Kakashi, grinning devilishly under his mask, feigned innocence. "I really don't know what you're talking about. I just happened –"

Naruto cut him off. "You just happen to be everywhere we are."

"Naruto, how come you didn't tell me?!" Sakura asked, materializing from behind Kakashi.

Naruto groaned. The entire village was bound to know now that Sakura saw them together. He turned to face her. "What are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"We could ask you the same thing." Kakashi countered, sliding the tiny camera he had in his back pocket.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hanabi asked in a tone that implied Sakura was stupid.

"For your information," Kakashi started, "we were on patrol when we just happened to hear some unusual sounds coming from this vicinity, wherein we proceeded to investigate; only to find you two…I need not go on."

"Don't you think it's about time you come up with something original?" Hanabi asked.

Kakashi's eyebrow shot up in surprise. This was the first time someone said that to him. It was disconcerting.

"Why _are_ you two here?" Naruto asked a wicked smile on his face. He wiggled his eyebrows at Hanabi, who immediately understood his innuendo, and rolled her eyes. "Here, in this nice secluded area, miles away from the nearest rural house. Where no one would even think to look for anyone."

Sakura eyed him suspiciously. "What are you hinting at?"

"Don't act like you're stupid." Hanabi stated. She turned her gaze to Kakashi, who suddenly took avid interest at the moon.

Kakashi awkwardly cleared his throat when he realized what Naruto and Hanabi were hinting at. "Clearly you don't suggest that …" He motioned a hand between him and Sakura.

Sakura gasped. "How dare you suggest such a thing?"

"It's okay." Naruto chided. "Well if not that then what?"

"We were…uh…um…" Sakura stammered.

"Stalking us?" Hanabi offered. "It's the only other reason why you two would be here."

Kakashi came to Sakura's rescue by saying, "How dare you imply that we were stalking you; your superfluous insinuations has me flummoxed, and has drastically impaired my egotistical sub-conscience."

Naruto scratch his head. "Did anyone understand a word he just said?" He turned to Sakura. "You want to translate for me?"

Kakashi continued, "I am also ecstatically appalled that you would even indicate that Sakura and I are in any sort of scandalous behavior. Shame on you."

Sakura and Hanabi's face were a burrow of concentration, trying to decipher what the jounin had just stated. They gave up. Hanabi faced Kakashi. "Back to what we were asking, why are you stalking us?"

"Why are you persistently implying that we are negatively pursuing you and your spouse's recreational epoch?" Kakashi replied.

Naruto clutched at his temples, and said, "Shut up with the big words already and answer the question. I ought to tell Granny that you've been stalking us."

Kakashi was prepared for that, and so countered, "And I could mention certain things to certain people." Hanabi tensed. "However," Kakashi continued, "If you do me a tiny little minuscule fav-"

"OOOHHhh no," Hanabi interrupted, "You're not pulling that blackmail crap again."

"You don't have a choice," Kakashi stated, "Seeing as how I have a witness. Right Sakura?" She pretended to study a nearby flower with unrelenting interest

Naruto came to Hanabi's rescue by saying, "Well if you mention a few things to certain people, we'll just mention to certain people that Tsunade's apprentice, and the famous copy ninja Kakashi, meet on a constant basis to have passionate, wild, bestiality, S&M orientated _gatherings_ in Sakura's office."

Sakura sent him an incredulous look. "Who the hell, in their right mind, would believe that?"

Hanabi bit her tongue as a picture of what Naruto just said formed in her mind. She did not know what it said of her that she found it disturbing and exponentially funny.

"Iruka-sensei, would. And he could convince anybody." Naruto answered her.

Kakashi closed the book he was reading at Naruto's comment. He turned to Sakura. "The sad thing is, he's right." If anyone started to believe that he'd have to leave the village. Sakura lowered her head. She could imagine what the staff at the hospital would say behind her back. She'd never live it down. And any attempt of denial would only strengthen people's belief in the rumor.

"Fine." Kakashi stated, "You win for now. However, I wonder what her father would say," He nodded towards Hanabi. "if he learnt about what she was doing. I just might let something slip."

Hanabi tensed at what he said. She suddenly remembered the heap of trouble she was in with her father, which also reminded her that he usually did late check ups to see if she was in her room or not. If he missed her tonight, she was definitely going in the hole

Hanabi looked up; the moon was almost above her head. This meant she had to go, if she wanted to be home before curfew. She frowned. She was really enjoying herself. She faced Naruto. "Idiot, I have to go." She turned and started back down the path.

Naruto turned to Kakashi and Sakura. "This isn't over. Wait till tomorrow. Hanabi, wait up." He jogged after her.

When they disappeared behind the trees, Sakura whirled to face Kakashi. "Why didn't you say something? Now they think that…" She couldn't even bring herself to say it.

Kakashi shrugged. He still couldn't believe that she'd told him to come up with something original. That really damaged his ego. As far he was concerned he came up with the most original excuses ever. He'd have to go home and meditate over this.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into following them." Sakura continued.

He pulled the camera out of his pocket and waved it in front of her face. "Because, dear child, one of these goes for 30,000ryo."

Sakura frowned. She almost felt guilty for selling out her closest friend. Then again, 30,000ryo for a picture was hard to turn down. She suddenly thought of something. "Kakashi-sensei, you think if we get a video of them, they'll pay more."

Kakashi paused. Now there was a thought. "I like your way of thinking. In fact, meet me at the training grounds tomorrow, around 4." He just remembered there was something he had to take care of. If he didn't Jiraiya would strangle him. He disappeared in a whirl of leaves. Sakura followed suite.

***

By the time Naruto caught up with Hanabi, they were a few feet from the Hyuuga estate.

"Hey stop for a minute?" Naruto asked, pulling lightly on Hanabi's sleeve.

She stopped and turned to face him. Damn, he was sexy. She wondered what would have happened if certain people hadn't intruded.

In a way, she was sort of glad they did, or else she would have ended up doing something she might've regretted. "What?"

Naruto slid his hands in his back pocket, and hunched his shoulders. This was the first time, as far as he could remember, that he'd ever been nervous. "Um…I want t to see y you again." His face was cheery red.

Hanabi bit down hard on her tongue, to keep herself from smiling. He was actually asking her out, and he was nervous as hell. Imagine, the infamous unpredictable ninja, a hokage hopeful, was nervously asking her out. She wondered what his expression would be if she told him to get lost. Nah, she wasn't that cold.

Hanabi moved a few strands of hair from her face. "You're looking at me now right?" She smirked, this was sort of fun. His face was turning redder.

"N not like that," Naruto stammered. He took in a deep breath. He'd never been nervous before, it was disconcerting. If she told him no, he might bash his head in the wall. "I mean, I want to take you somewhere. Tomorrow?"

It was taking a lot of her concentration to keep herself from laughing. Hanabi chewed on her bottom lip for a second. "Tell you what. You see that place over there," She motioned her hand toward the Hyuuga estate. "That's my prison, in all sense of the word. If you can present a valid reason to my warden as to why I should leave, then I'll do whatever you want to do tomorrow. If you can get me out, that is."

Naruto thought for a moment, and then sent her a wicked grin that made her heart jump. "You have a deal then. And to make it binding…"

Hanabi sucked in a breath, when Naruto suddenly pulled her towards him and plundered her mouth. Hanabi started to protest but, after a few seconds, leaned into Naruto and started to kiss him back, with much enthusiasm. When Naruto ran a hand down her back, she pushed away from him, before she lost herself. She looked around, her face red. Thankfully, there was no one on the street.

Naruto smirked at her. "I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Hanabi took in a huge breath to settle her nerves. She had to learn to control herself, or else. But the question she kept asking herself was, would the 'or else' part be so bad. She decided that if she was going to do the "or else" part; she had to get to know him first. She walked through the main entrance gate of the estate, her thoughts full of Naruto. She decided to walk around the branch family when she saw two elders talking in the courtyard; she didn't want to be harassed.

Hanabi slowly walked along the outskirts of the branch family, near the wall to the woods. She wasn't in any rush to see her father. She pushed him to the back of her mind; just thinking of him was upsetting. She felt the air pressure change and quickly hid in the shadows of the trees lining the wall. Hinata appeared in a swirl of leaves a few feet from where she was. Hanabi wondered where she went. Since she hadn't seen her sister, face to face, in awhile she emerged from the shadows saying, "I smell failure."

Hinata spun around and studied her sister. She smirked and said, "You're home early. What, no one wants to rent the whore tonight?"

The smirk fell off of Hanabi's face. That really stung, not that she'd let it show. "Says the bitch that nobody ever needed or wanted." Hanabi retorted. She eyed her sister with disgust. "Is there anything you're good at besides being pathetic?" Hanabi didn't wait for her to retort. "Don't answer that. Maybe we'll ship you off to some feudal lord in the middle of nowhere, that way we'll never hear about the worthless Hyuuga again."

They started to circle each other. Hinata glared at her sister. "I wouldn't be surprised if that same feudal lord asked for you, knowing your reputation. Haiku says you're impressive on your back. I wondered if he heard that, could be. Then again, you are public property."

Hanabi fingered the kunai concealed under her skirt, on her thigh. "Touché, dear sister. Then again, all the unwanted Hyuuga band together. I suppose they only have each other to talk to. How does it feel to be a mistake – no - , Hiashi's only mistake?"

Hinata smirked. "You're his mistake. He should've saved mother instead of you."

Hanabi scowled, withdrawing her kunai. "Artifacts of value and worth often come with a high price. The same thing can't be said about you though."

Hinata scowled and threw the shuriken she had between her fingers. Hanabi deflected all of them with the kunai, and then threw it at Hinata, who dodged it by merely cocking her head to one side.

_Byakugan, jyuken_

The two sisters came together, channeling enough chakra at each other to cause the air and trees around them to shimmer. They separated, circled, and reunited, exchanging blows and profanities. Hanabi aimed low while Hinata simultaneously aimed high, and they cancelled each other out, rolling to the floor. Hanabi was faster getting up, and so charged at Hinata, aiming for her torso, a fatal blow if followed through. She would've connected too, if Neji hadn't appeared out of nowhere and deflected her with a small rotation.

Hanabi landed hard on her ass. Out of pure frustration she seized a rock and hefted at Neji's head. He dodged it and replied, "What were you thinking?"

Hanabi saw Hinata's smirk from behind Neji and turned her head. As if seeing through Hanabi's eyes, Neji whirled around to Hinata. "And you, you should know better."

Hinata lowered her eyes in embarrassment. Hanabi turned her back towards her sister.

"I will see the two of you tomorrow," Neji stated, "It is imperative that I talk to the two of you, especially you Hanabi." With that said, Neji disappeared into the night.

The two sisters stood there, with their backs to each other. "Hinata why must we dislike each other?" Hanabi asked softly. It was a thought that was always running through her mind.

Hinata stiffened. She'd never heard such regret in her sister's tone of voice. She sighed. She often wondered the same question too. While walking away, Hinata replied," Because, Hiashi demands that I do." The wind picked up and Hinata disappeared in a gust of leaves, leaving Hanabi pondering deeply about what she'd said. Hinata was tired of fighting with her, Hanabi heard it in the tiredness of her sigh.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the person dashing ahead of her on the rooftops.

**Review please. I felt so bad that I took forever to pop this one out that id didn't even read it over. I hoped you liked it anyway. I'll try not to take forever with the next chapter. **

**Btw, this chapter was half done, I just threw in the ending cause I got stuck. If you didn't like it, I promise you, the next one will be better.**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yeah… I know right? It's been like 7,000 years…forever. What had happened was I lost my book I had written this in (still didn't find it though) **

**So.. I'll be finishing this up from my head. **

**OH, I do thank the person greatly who sent me the review telling me a summarize version of my plot. Saves me time from reading this thing again.**

**So without further adieu, I give you the long awaited update.**

**P.S. – I added another plot, as if I already didn't have enough :-)**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**

Chapter Nine

Hanabi heard a muffled yelp and pitched up in her bed. Scanning the darkness of her bedroom, she found the source of the sound, a figure crouching beneath her window. Cautiously watching the person, she withdrew a kunai she had hidden underneath her pillow. Aiming at the centre of the person, she threw the kunai, and was shocked when the kunai hit the wall with a thud.

She heard the soft click of the lock and looked toward the door to see the person standing there. Hanabi was about to scream for help but a hand clamped over mouth, muffling it. Hanabi bit her tongue to wake herself up. Why in all that was good, that someone had to attack her when she was in deep slumber?

Hanabi suddenly stilled, gathering her and focusing her chakra. The person who was holding her mouth pressed a kunai to her throat, and was about to slice her neck open when she released the chakra she'd gathered at her chakra points. The man was forced backward and the kunai fell out of his hand.

Hanabi jumped off her bed, whilst activating her byakugan. She backed herself into a corner of her room, that way she could see the two people who'd come in to assassinate her. Assassinate. Someone wanted her dead. With that thought in her head, she basked in the adrenaline rush and the instinct of self preservation.

With those two body mechanisms fuelling her, she focused on her adversaries. She was going for the kill. The person who was by the door rushed towards her, kunai extended. Hanabi ducked under the ninja's outstretched arm, and elbowed him in his lower spine, which sent him stumbling forward. She charged to wards the other one, aiming a strike at his torso. The person deflected it and barraged Hanabi with ruthless attacks, which she evaded with ease. She suddenly morphed into a crouching position and landed a few jyuken strikes at the person's thighs, which made him stumbled. Taking advantage of this she rose up and kneed the person in the solar plexus. After that, she transmuted into a kata of painful strikes and kicks. It was a fighting style different than the traditional hyuuga taijutsu. This style allowed for more flexible moves and improvisation.

She ended the kata with a flying roundhouse kick to the ninja's head, which sent him crashing into the lamp, semi-conscious. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a kunai flying at her, and she merely cocked her head to the side to dodge it. She turned around and faced the ninja who'd thrown it. He seemed ready to fight. He'd underestimated her speed, which was why she was able to land that hit on him in the first place. A mistake he wasn't likely to make again. At least he was able to recover while the other ninja was getting thrashed.

_Jyuken_. Hanabi reverted back to her form of Hyuga style fighting. She figured the person saw her in her other fighting style, and would have tried to figure out the basic mechanics of the style, thus being able to know how to avoid or evade her attacks. The person probably knew how to fight against a Hyuuga, hence trying to assassinate her. But what the ninja probably didn't know was that the Hyuga fighting style of the main branch members were different than the branch family. Main family taijutsu was based on branch family taijutsu, but the main family members were allowed to customize it, making their own style of it. Thus each person in the main family had a similar yet different fighting style.

Channelling chakra into her palms and feet, Hanabi charged at the other ninja. She feinted a roundhouse kick to his ribs, but the ninja didn't fall for it, and kept up his guard. It was just as she suspected, this person knew the concepts of branch family fighting.

She sent a kick at his head, which the person caught. She released the chakra in her foot, and the ninja released his hold, clutching his hand in pain. With the help of her byakugan, she target his vital organs. With an incredible burst of speed, she slithered around his punch, which left his torso open to attack. Hanabi took advantage of this and slammed her palms in his chests, releasing chakra as she did. The ninja stumbled back into a wall, to which Hanabi gleefully took advantage of and commenced her version of Hinata's hundred palms of fury. Hers became more vicious with each hit that landed.

Her attacks were so forceful, and her chakra so sharp, that she was literally rupturing the ninja's back. She stopped at around thirty-seven, as the ninja was now limp and dying. The ninja slowly slid to the floor, painting a red mark on her pristine wall. Hanabi reigned in her emotions, and lowered her fighting spirit. Maybe she over did it?

She crouched down in front of the ninja and asked, "Who sent you?"

The ninja smiled at her, blood slowly spewing forth from his lips. "You really want to know?" the ninja asked, in a raspy voice.

"Who sent you?" Hanabi asked, placing a palm over the ninja's heart.

The ninja chuckled, a hideous sound. "A Hyuga sent me." Hanabi released the chakra she had channelled into her hand, effectively obliterating a section of the ninja's heart. She didn't have time for games, someone intended to kill her, and she wanted to find out whom. She watched the ninja gasped for breath as his lungs filled up with blood, suffocating him. It was a slow and painful death.

When the ninja was dead and gone, she was about to close his eyes when she noticed something for the first time. This ninja had pupil-less eyes, similar to her own. Hanabi removed the headband with the hidden leaf's insignia on it from the ninja's forehead, and gasped. Sure enough there was a caged bird seal there. She prevented the seal from activating with a quick jutsu she'd copied from an elder. The seal destroyed a Hyuga's body within five minutes of their death, which was why autopsies were rarely given in the Hyuga estate.

The fact that her now dead assassinator was a Hyuga, brought about huge complications she would have to deal with. It also gave her something to think about. It was highly unlikely Hinata was behind this, as she usually directly approached her. This meant that someone else was after her, someone from the council or the branch family. The only question was why?

It wasn't until she heard a cough that she remembered the other ninja who'd come after her. Hanabi turned around to see the ninja crouching in the window sill, ready to escape.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, racing towards the ninja, who, for obvious reasons, jumped out of the window.

Damn, Hanabi thought, while grabbing a robe from off her bed. She hated giving chase to anything. She jumped out of the window while shrugging into her robe. The roof was cold underneath her bare feet. The ninja was only a few yards ahead of her, which meant that he was still injured. Otherwise, he'd have already teleported.

"Stop!" she shouted, as she glided from rooftop to rooftop after the ninja. "Damn you!" she threw the kunai she had taken out of the wall when she was leaving her room at the ninja, who just dodged it.

Hanabi kept shouting at the ninja to stop, thus waking up the clan as she chased the ninja. Lights and muffled voices were coming to life as she ran by the houses. They were nearing the entrance gate to the estate now. She doubted that she'd be able to catch the ninja, as she was losing her adrenaline rush. So, she used her byakugan to memorize the ninja's chakra network. That'll have to suffice her for now.

Hanabi stopped and landed right in front of the branch family. She watched as the guards at the main gate gave a feeble attempt to stop the ninja. Kissing her teeth, she made her way back to the main family residents via rooftop.

"Repeat what you are trying to say again. I didn't quite get it." Hiashi said, as he watched his angry daughter pace back in forth in his room.

Hanabi turned angry eyes at her father. "Do you ever listen to anything I say?" she said, in a disapproving tone. "What part of someone just tried to assassinate me don't you understand?"

Hiashi sighed. It was after four in the morning, and quite frankly, he wasn't ready to get up yet. He was still in the throes of slumber. He had been sleeping peacefully when Hanabi had barge in his room, making a ruckus about someone trying to kill her.

"Did you catch the person?" Hiashi asked, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up. It was too early in the morning to be bothered.

Hanabi was ready to pull out all of Hiashi's glorious hair strand by strand. This man was acting as if it wasn't a big matter. She took in a deep breath and reigned in her temper. Then, in strained voice, said, "I killed one of them, and the other got away."

Hanabi was somewhat happy to see her father's eyes widen when she mentioned she killed one of them.

"I think it'd be better if you just come and see the scene for yourself." Hanabi stated, leaving the room. Hiashi followed her down the hall to her room. A few servants were rising out of the quarters, inquiring about what happened, and if they needed to be available. Mameha was one of the people who woke up. She immediately followed Hiashi and Hanabi.

Hanabi had to kick the door open, as one of the ninja's had locked it. She motioned them inside and closed the door behind her, to keep away the curious and the nosy.

"Good heavens!" Mameha exclaimed when she saw the state of Hanabi's room. Bits and pieces of broken furniture was scattered about the room. There was a few kunai marks in the wall, where she was fighting with the dead ninja. There were a few blood drops on the window. On the wall by the door, there was a huge red mark, as if someone threw a bucket of red paint of the wall carelessly. And just underneath that mark, lay the dead ninja, who had been marinating in his own blood, and whatever else had leaked out of his body.

Hiashi gathered his robes and crouched over the ninja to examine him. Hanabi watched as his eyes widen upon recognizing the ninja's features. "This is…"

"A Hyuga." Hanabi finished for him. "Someone from the branch family, to be exact. Mameha-baa-sama, do you know him?"

Mameha studied the body for a minute. She'd seen death occur too many times and ways to be shocked by this. There was something familiar about the body ut she couldn't put her finger on it. She turned towards Hanabi, who was obviously shaken despite the calm façade she was wearing, and asked, "Did you kill him?"

Hanabi nodded. "He was sent to assassinate me. There were two of them, but one of them got away. I don't think the other one was a Hyuuga though, or if they were working together. I think they both were sent by different people and just happened to meet up here." Hanabi said, while sitting on her bed.

"Assassinate? Who would try to kill you?" Mameha asked, completely baffled.

"That's would I love to find out." Hanabi said dryly.

"Then what about, Miss Hinata? Did they try to assassinate her to?" Mameha asked, her face full of worry. She used hey byakugan and looked into the room next door, to make sure that Hinata was fine. Sure enough, Hinata was sleeping safe and sound in her bed. "She's fine." Mameha announced, relieved.

"That's against the rules, Mameha-baa-sama" Hiashi pointed out. No one was ever allowed to use their byakugan to look into another person's room.

Mameha gave him a look and asked, "Your point is…?"

"Hmphh" Hiashi grunted and moved over to inspect the window sill.

Hanabi smirked. Mameha-baa-sama could do anything she damned please and no one could or would say anything to her about it. They wouldn't dare. Hanabi wanted to be like her when she grew old.

No forced signs of entry, Hiashi thought. He surveyed the room. Obviously a fight took place here, but seeing that there was no forced sign of entry, they'd have to go with Hanabi's word. Which was going to be a problem when the inquest by the Hyuga council, and the local investigative squad, takes place. All in all, upon first glance, this would be classified as a murder. He sighed. Leave it to Hanabi to give him gray hairs.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Mameha asked, her voice brimming with excitement. She loved scandals, whether they be classy, or grimy. They added entertainment to her usual dull life.

Hiashi turned to face them, his mind set. "Mameha-baa-sama, contact the civil dispute division of the ANBU, let them send an investigative team down here in the morning. Also get some trustworthy ninja from the main family to preserve the scene. And finally, get a Hyuga medic nin in here, to keep the body in its current state until the ANBU team arrives. As for you Hanabi," he turned toward his daughter. "I suggest you clean yourself up, and stay on the estate, preferably in the house. Recall what you know so that when you face the council, later this morning you can tell them what happened in vivid detail."

Mameha nodded and eagerly summoned two servants to carry out her instructions Hanabi nodded.

Hiashi surveyed the room again. "Hanabi, I also suggest that you find someone to round up the people you roused during your chase. You'll need as much witnesses as possible."

Hanabi stared at her father confused. "Witnesses…?"

"Yes, witnesses." Hiashi grimly reiterated. "Until proven by the council and/or the ANBU team, this will be treated as a murder, as there is not enough circumstantial evidence to support what you say was an attempted assassination. There was no sign of forced entry or any jutsu used to get in this room; a vital component if you are to prove your innocence. Not that I'm saying you're guilty or anything but, you must look at this from an objective point of view. Comprehend?"

Hanabi battled with her self to keep her emotions under wrap. She nodded her head. "I understand father."

With that she bowed and left the room. Hiashi surveyed the scene once again, trying to gain a new impression. He didn't doubt Hanabi's story one bit. It was the council, he feared, which might be quick to pass judgement. Conveniently, this just had to happen when the time of the new head of the clan ceremony was fast approaching. He too wondered if Hinata had anything to do with this, as it seems that the scales were tipping in her favour.

***

Naruto wandered about the village in search of food, and a clear place to settle his thoughts and decide his intentions. He doubted he'd find someplace selling food at this time in the morning or a place to clear his mind. He wanted to think about him and Hanabi and if they had any potential. Well, from his point of view all they had going for the both of them right now was a deep physical attraction. Not that he was complaining but he wasn't one for one time flings. He decided he was going to pursue her.

His decision to pursue Hanabi brought about another astounding thought to him; that he was completely over his obsession with Sakura. Not to say that he'd given up on her, he still had to have his options, but she'd be more like something to fall back on. He'd noticed that all his efforts had not been in vain, as she was gradually swaying his way. She was more open with him. But enough about Sakura, he was now on Hanabi's wagon. He'd known Hanabi for only about a week and a half now. He figured he needed to get to know her more while he was on vacation. However, the only problem seemed to be Hiashi and Kakashi-sensei.

Kakashi was a problem because he was a publicity risk to Naruto. Since Naruto had been labelled a hokage hopeful by Tsunade and several other important people, he'd become a sort of a super celebrity. He'd already been a celebrity since people had heard, and some witnessed, him beating Gaara when he was the one-tailed beast. Anyway, because of this, Kakashi and Jiraiya had the brilliant idea to get rich off of him by selling him out to the local tabloids. His whole life was turning into a public event. He had fan clubs that staked out his house sometimes. It was disconcerting. Anyway the point was that, if anyone got wind that he had his eyes on Hanabi, he would be bothered relentlessly by tabloids, and Hanabi would receive all sorts of death threats from his numerous fan clubs.

The death threat thing had happened before. People had noticed that he'd been hung up around Sakura, and so she had been threatened. It wasn't a big deal as no one in their right mind would mess with Sakura. For peace sake she was the hokage's apprentice after all. And the one foolish person who had tried to physically threaten Sakura was still in a coma. He wasn't worried about her. He was more worried about what the attention might cause Hanabi. He'd have to talk to her about this thing they had going on.

Naruto strolled through the streets completely caught up in his thoughts. Somehow he'd ended up near Iruka's house. Since he was hungry, and Iruka always had a well stocked pantry, he decided to pay a visit. He just hoped that the man was not doing anything inappropriate. The last time Naruto showed up unannounced, he was privileged enough to catch Iruka and Kakashi having, what Sakura called titillating man sexy sex. She got off on that kind of thing. It was a scarring experience for him.

Naruto never made it to Iruka's house though, as when he was a mere corner away from his destination, when he spotted two shadowy figures on the corner of the street.

From his experience, shadowy figures were always up to no good. Take Shino for example, Naruto figured he probably used those bugs to spy on little girls and boys. Being the nosy person he was, he faded into the shadows and tried to sneak up on them unnoticed. He was able to get close enough to hear what they were saying but not close enough to actually see them.

"So was the mission a success?" one of the figures asked. He had a deep rumbling voice.

"No, she is not dead, but there is enough evidence there to frame her. However, I was not told that there was going to be another assassin there." This person had a neutral tone.

"Someone else was there?"

"Yes, she killed him. She was incredible. Shall I try again?"

There was a moment of silence. "No, I will inform my client of the situation, so wait until you hear from me. You should recuperate. You look like hell."

"I thought I was done for. She has more than one fighting style, as the one I prepared for was not the one she used."

"Very well then. I shall obtain more information about her and report it back to you. From what you say, it seems that my client is not the only one interested in doing away with her. That is all until further notice."

The shadowy figure nodded. "Understood. I will be preparing myself for the next mission. I will not underestimate her again."

"You shouldn't have to begin with. You couldn't possibly have thought that she was weak, after all she is in the main family, and one of the heiresses no less." The figure what the deep voice said.

The other figured nodded, and with that the two shadowy figures disappeared into the early dawn, oblivious of Naruto. After a few minutes, Naruto emerged from his listening place.

See? He was rarely wrong. Suspicious shadowy figures always were up to no good. Since they mentioned main family, he assumed that they were speaking in relation to the Hyuga clan; which meant that something went down not to long ago. He also wondered if they were talking about Hanabi or Hinata. In any event he needed to let someone know what he'd learnt. He took off in the direction of the hokage tower, fighting the off the soothing fingers of sleep.

End of Chapter

**Whew! I'm almost there _ Like I said, its been like forever. But not to worry, starting next chapter, I'll begin to wrap up. I hadn't realized how much plots this thing had. Lol**

**Anyway review please, I like constructive criticism. Next chappy will be out in about 2 or 3 weeks, so bear with me plzzz. June is a busy month, I have like a buncha graduations to be at, and plus prom. So see u in 3 weeks or before :P **

**Don't worry I already started the next chapter so, no need to fret (I'm assuring myself) _**

**Btw, I need a beta reader, so if you're interested give a shout. I find it easier to do it this way than go searchin for some, that lists is like long**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the reviews and all. Here's the next chapter ^_^**

**Enjoy^_^**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**

Chapter Ten

"Obaa-chan?" Naruto whispered, knocking slightly on the bedroom window of the hokage. "Obaa-chan?" Naruto let out a yawn. He wanted to go to sleep so badly, but what he'd just heard had to be passed on to someone with a high rank. And because he didn't know of any ANBU, and the jounin he knew were either sleeping or on a mission, he figured the next best person had to be the hokage. It was a good thing that he was close to Tsunade, or else he would've been up cookie creek. If anyone else had tried knocking on the bedroom window of the hokage, they'd be beaten, arrested and most likely beaten again.

Naruto sighed. Either Tsunade was ignoring him or was in deep drunken slumber. Naruto figured it'd most likely be more the latter than the former. Shoulders slumping in defeat, Naruto turned to leave. He would just have to come back later in the morning. In a rare stroke of genius, Naruto figured that it would be smart to leave a note or something in case he didn't make it back before Tsunade left for work. He took out a pen he had in his pocket and scribbled a brief summary of what he saw on the back of an exploding tag. He then slipped it underneath the door and left, heading towards home.

_***Several Hours Later***_

Hanabi hugged her knees to her chest, and let the streams of water cover her like a blanket. Even though the water was beating heavily on her face, she could still feel the hot tears escape from her eyes. She could not find any witnesses who were willing to vie for her; they were either to scared of her or thought she deserved what was happening to her. In fact, since news got out that the assassin she killed was a Hyuga, the whole estate seemed to be against her. It was almost as if the whole estate had wished if the assassin had actually killed her. She wondered the possibility for a brief moment if the clan actually was out to get her. She could remember all of the hurtful things everyone said when she went to the Branch family asking for witnesses. If they didn't slam their door in her face, they called her names and said unrepeatable things. Had she really been that bad towards them? Was she really a, …a bitch?

The only people who'd been helping her was Neji, Mameha-baa-sama, her father, and, believe it or not, Hinata; though Hinata pretended that she could care less. Hanabi figured if things weren't looking great in her favour, she'd have to make a run for it; she wasn't going to die just yet. She couldn't leave Konoha though. If she did, there would be an endless search for her, every moment she'd have to be on he run. There was no such thing as a Hyuga missing nin, the set who tried often didn't make it very far. Konoha had far to much allies for her to hide anywhere fast; it would take a long time to get to enemy territory, and besides, before she even reached, she would bound to buck up with Konoha allies or ninja. If she were to run, her only choice would be to hide in plain sight. And to do that, you needed friends, something she didn't have. She could only think of one person who'd have a weak inkling to want to help her, and she doubted that person would want to put up with the risk….then again…

A sharp knock resonated throughout the bathroom, followed by a sharp voice, "Five more minutes, Hanabi!"

Hanabi scowled. Also, since word got out, the branch family had been calling her by her name only, instead of Miss Hanabi or Hanabi-sama, it was now Hanabi or you girl. Not that she minded but it was sort f disconcerting. By the way she had guards now, from the branch family. She found them funny because all of them knew that, if she really wanted to, she could kick their asses and make a run for it; they were afraid of her.

Hanabi sighed and turned off the water. She stood up and stretched. Water ran down her body like tiny rivulets ran down a mountain. In a moment of complete randomness, she stepped out of the tub and shook herself like a dog, causing water to splash everywhere. She stood in front of the fogged up mirror and quickly tied her hair into a loose ponytail. Then she pulled a few strands loose from both sides of her hair that they fell loose over her face. The loose bangs was an added benefit as they helped hide her features, thus if she lost focus, her bangs would hide anything her face might reveal. Usually she wore her hair out, much like her father does, but special occasions called for practicality; in the event that she had to run, she'd look more dangerous this way, especially with her newly perfected glare. They'd think twice before attacking her.

Hanabi carefully tied the kunai pouch to both thighs. They were special kunai that would not be detected by any byakugan: they were compliments of Mameha-baa-sama. She then donned on her fishnet shirt, followed by a sleeveless black shirt. Then she quickly slipped on a pants-skirt so short that they couldn't be classified as an article of clothing. They had to be short, so that they didn't get in the way if she needed to use the kunai. At least the skirt part was a modest length,, ut it had a high slit. You couldn't really notice it if she didn't move fast. Then finally, she shrugged on her Hyuga robe. It was a thick cloak made of a heavy material; it was almost a burden to put on. With one last check in the mirror Hanabi donned on her new glare and walked out of the bathroom.

When Hanabi entered the living room, everyone quieted and turned to look at her. She'd been looking at the ground, but as soon as she held her head up, and unleashed her piercing glare, everyone turned their head elsewhere, pretending to find something else of interest. Hanabi glanced around the room. It seemed that the ANBU investigative team had yet to arrive. She recognized the Hyuga medical examiner talking with someone from the council, some reps from the branch family was here, along with a few of the Guard. Hinata and Neji were no where to be seen. So who was going to speak on her behalf, or was she to speak for herself? Not that it mattered, she was always on her own.

She claimed a seat next to a member from the council. This member was known as the worst one in the decrepit bunch of retired ninja and Hyuga heads that made up the council.

"So," The elder member began, "how did you kill him? They aren't letting us in to see the _murdered_ body until the ANBU have arrived."

Hanabi almost flinched at the word murder. In a sharp and arrogant tone that was bound to irritate the old member, she replied, "The unfortunate _assassin_ met his ill-fated demise from a reflexive jyuken strike to the chest. It was a technique that was to be used in dire circumstances. And I do believe that being in a corner, with someone trying to cut your throat is a dire circumstance. Don't you think?"

With that said Hanabi, raised her chin at the council member, and rudely turned her head at him. It felt good to put him in his place. She tried not to smirk when she heard Mameha-baa-sama shout from somewhere in the kitchen, "You let him know girl!"

Several of the other people, who were in the room, snickered. The council member made a rude noise and walked proudly outside. After his exit, the tension in the room became noticeably lighter.

Hanabi was about to leave, to go and obtain something to drink, when a servant announced that the ANBU had arrived. Hanabi instantly went in panic mode, though her face was still impassive. The moment of dread was approaching fast, and she was not ready for it, despite the pep rallies she'd been giving herself in the bathroom.

Hanabi had been expecting the investigative team to consist of a few masked ninja, however, she and everyone else, was surprised to see the hokage's aid accompanying the team. The medical ninja dressed in her usual dark robe, was the odd one out amongst the ANBU, who were dressed in the standard black cloak.

Shizune glanced around the room, searching for Hanabi. She'd heard a lot about the girl from Kakashi. She found it interesting that Hanabi would choose Naruto to have an affair with. According to Kakashi, he'd caught the two on several occasions in very compromising positions. Of course, this was supposedly a secret, as Naruto would never pass Hyuga standards.

Shizune let out a chuckle as she gazed the room, which caused several of the infamously arrogant people to stare at her. She pretended not to hear the curious whispers as to why the hokage sent her own aide along with the ANBU. A murder within the Hyuga compound was big news. The hokage sending her aide and guard to investigate a murder was bigger news. Shizune figured her presence here would add fuel to the gossip mill that was already ablaze.

Before Shizune could approach Hanabi, Hiashi materialized in front of her and said, "I am most surprised that you are here Shizune-sama. I can't begin to fathom why the hokage sent her aide, or how she got to know of this case, as the rest of the clan is just becoming aware of this incident."

Shizune smiled at him and said, "Hiashi-sama, it is quite a pleasure to meet you, though not under these circumstances." They bowed to each other before Hiashi motioned for her to follow. "As for why Tsunade-sama sent me," She continued, "I myself do not know what her true motive for sending me here for, however, I can tell you that she is most interested in Hanabi, although I have yet to figure out why. I presume, if she was not so busy, she would've come here herself."

It wasn't until Shizune stopped talking that she realized that almost everyone who was in the room was behind them.

Hiashi thought for a moment before asking, "How is it that hokage-sama became aware of this incident so fast? I mean, I know she has access to an unlimited information channels, but it is an enigma that has me truly puzzled." Before Shizune could answer him, he quickly added, "I don't mean to come across as defensive, but I would like to know if I would need to tighten security around here."

"Aaah," Shizune said, she'd been expecting this question. Well, if it wasn't for Naruto, she wouldn't have known about it. Shizune replied, "Well, funny thing about that really, one of our ninjas who was on patrol spotted some suspicious looking people, which he chose to shadow. The people he shadowed just happened to be one of the assassins that got away and his boss or something. Our ninja wasn't able to follow them so he documented what he saw, and slipped it underneath the hokage's office. Naturally, when Tsunade-sama went in she spotted it and sent us straight away. The ninja hadn't left his name so we weren't able to do an immediate follow up, but an inquest is ongoing."

Tsunade had told her that she was not suppose to reveal that Naruto was the one who'd found out about the assassin. Tsunade was being cautious just in case the people behind the assassination were in the clan itself; she didn't want anyone ordering a hit on Naruto.

Hanabi, who'd been listening to Shizune's explanation, almost wept in relief; Shizune's presence and explanation was all the witness she's need. Though, it would even be better if she could find out who this ninja was and asked him to testify on her behalf. She'd be in the clear soon enough if things went her way.

When the group of fifteen or more ninjas reached the supposed 'murder/crime' scene, Hiashi undid the seal in front of the door, and told the Hyuga medic nin, who were inside preventing the seal from destroying the body, that they were now relived of their duty. The ANBU quickly substituted with the Hyuga medics, and kept on preventing the seal from activating; Shizune had yet to do her examination of the body.

When Shizune stepped into the room, and crouched over the body, everyone decided they wanted to see what she was doing thus, they tried to squeeze their selves into the room, which was only big enough to host five people comfortably. Noticing the sudden increase in body heat, Shizune faced the crowd of arrogant seniors and politely said, "I think it would be easier, and much faster, if there were less people in the room. So with the exception of Hanabi and Hiashi-sama, I would greatly appreciate it if the rest of you would please leave." When no one budged, she added, "Unless you guys are willing to see me slice open this body, exposing decaying flesh and viscous blood, while I use my scalpel to scrape away organ tissue and bone tissue to be analyzed; to which I'll also have to remove organs, which is bound to be unpleasant as they'll be a horrid yellowish green tinge, and their might be maggots in the intestines that I might have to remove, let's not forget the smell which could pose several serious health risks along with…."

The room was empty before she got to finished. Shizune, along with one or two of the ANBU, chuckled when the door closed with a bang. "What a shame, ninjas that are squeamish, lawl." Shizune said, prepping her hand.

An unnerved Hanabi, along with a slightly twitching Hiashi, stood in one corner away from Shizune, looking quite uncomfortable. Hanabi swallowed and asked, "Umm, Shizune-sama, are you really going to do that stuff?" Hanabi was quite sure if she had to sit and watched what Shizune described, she'd either pass out or show the medic nin a digested version of what she had for breakfast.

"Of course not," Shizune exclaimed, "I only said that to get rid of them." Shizune swore she saw Hiashi sighed in relief. Returning her attention back to the task at hand, Shizune proceeded to inspect the body; which detailed her running one hand covered in blue chakra down the length and width of the body, while running another hand covered in green chakra up the width and length of the body.

Hanabi had no clue as to what the medical ninja was doing, but from a visual perspective it looked like she was either molesting the body or sensing for something. Hanabi preferred to think the medic nin was doing the latter.

Shizune stood up, her task complete. She cleansed her hands and stated, "Well, cause of death is major damage to all major internal organs, definitely a deed done by a Hyuga. So, care to tell me what happened?"

Hiashi redirected Shizune's questioning gaze to Hanabi. Hanabi sighed and recounted in meticulous detail what happened. After that was done, Shizune recorded what was said on a scroll she had hidden in the mystiques of her robes.

"So that is all?" Hiashi asked. He had to take care of some other important business now, along with scheduling the time for Hanabi's trial.

Shizune nodded at his question and watched as he exited the room. Through the open door, she could see the people who she'd kick out swarm around him like bees to honey. Hanabi was about to follow suite but was stopped in her tracks when Shizune place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "May I have a word with you…in private?"

Hanabi awkwardly nodded and motioned for Shizune to follow her. Shizune sent one of the ANBU a glance before following Hanabi out. She was confident that they could handle the job from here on out.

Hanabi lead Shizune, in silence, past the main family complexes, past the training grounds and into the forest. When she was satisfied that they were a good distance away from prying eyes, she stopped.

Shizune smirked and playfully asked, "Are we even in the border anymore? Shall I summon Ton-ton and ask her to fetch my travel documents?"

Despite her impassive composure, Hanabi heard a rare chuckle escape her lips. Hanabi said, "The reason I took you so far is that they can still use their byakugan to read our lips, this way, if they try, they'd have to be quite near, and I'd sense them if they did."

Shizune nodded, not that she minded. "Anyway," Shizune started, "the reason I basked to speak with you is to tell you that I lied when I said that we didn't know who the ninja was that tipped us off." At Hanabi's puzzled expression, Shizune explained, "We have reason to believe that the hit on you was ordered by someone within your clan, and if I had revealed the name, they might've tried to get him too. Now the reason I am telling you this is because you will need all the help you can get. From an objective point of view of the crime scene, you look guilty by all accounts.

Tsunade-sama wishes your well being only because you seem to make our tipster happy, and she favours him like a grandson. By now you probably know who I am talking about. Our tipster was Naruto. I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse but what I do know is that, if you can get him to testify on your behalf, you'll be in the clear as, through him, you'll have the backing of the hokage, indirectly. Have fun trying to get him to willingly come down to the estate to testify, lawl. Well, I have to give my report. Good Luck." With that said, Shizune vanished in a swirl of leaves.

A confounded Hanabi, slowly slid to the forest floor. Great, now she _had_ to see the blonde. Hanabi blushed at the last time they spoke. She wouldn't mind if things went the way they were going last time they met, though given her current situation, things were bound to be awkward if they did.

She fingered the piece of paper in her hand with Naruto's address. He'd better be home, she thought, or else…..

End

Waps, chappy done. I know…it was crappy, I knew it was crappy. This was more like a filler for me…for some odd reason, I've been suffering severe writer's block. I was aiming for my usual eight pages but I couldn't make it..*sigh*_

So, you might not be seeing anything from me for this story for awhile, though I might update a nameless story, or my story on fiction press(I've neglected that for so long). If I update this before the end of September, it's because I had a random burst of imagination.

So, on to good news, I'll be starting college soon(like in 3 weeks) ^_^ yay me! :3 i wasn't lost to the dark recesses of society, I'm going to learn stuff again I hardly will ever use …woot!

Anyway, review and tell me how crappy this was…..i still need that beta btw, if I had one to nag me, I'd probably come out with chapters faster than I do now, (hint hint)

Lawl

Shippu Jinraikyaku (a.k.a. shippu27)


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks all for the reviews...lawl, I am not abandoning this, despite the fact I haven't updated in 4eva., lawl**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku^_^**

Chapter Eleven

After quietly sneaking off of the estate, Hanabi stealthily made her way towards the address Shizune-sama had given to her. She had to make this unannounced visit as fast as possible. If they, the council elders, discovered she was off the premises without being authorized to leave, her situation would worsen. She could already imagine them coming up with some crackpot reason as to why she left without telling anybody. She imagined they'd accuse her of planning her escape when she will be proven guilty or some other bullshit along those lines.

Hanabi looked at the address in her hand and then at the fading address on the sign in front of her. Sure enough the addresses matched but she wasn't sure if she was in the right place. She'd never been allowed to go to this district before, and now she knew why. This part of Konoha would be called or classified as a dump or a slum. As she never been here before she didn't know what term was used. I any event she was prepared. Although she never visited this district before she had heard more than enough about it to make her cautious.

Still, she couldn't believe Naruto would live in a place like this. She reckoned he was probably a poor ninja or something, which was surprising considering his fame. In fact, she didn't even know what he was famous for, just that he was famous. She figured she'd ask him later.

Well, if he was willing to help her, she'd pay him back by giving him a more decent place to live. She could more than afford it. And what made her happy about that, was that if she did help him out, she'd be using her own money and nothing from the clan.

Hanabi frowned at the houses and buildings with their overgrown yards, graffitied walls, and boarded up windows. Yep, she thought as she passed them, he could do better. She'd see to it that he does better. After all, a Hyuga like herself shouldn't be involved with someone who would choose to live in such an environment.

Conveniently for Hanabi, there were few people about on the dilapidated streets, and those who were about, blended in with the dirty dumpsters and the ugly trash that decorated the ground.

Hanabi roamed the area looking for Naruto's apartment. The paper Shizune-sama had given her had stated that he lived on the top floor of the only five storey building in the area. She had also said that there was no way Hanabi could miss the structure as Naruto had put his "signature' on the building.

When Hanabi found the building, she did a double take. Then she grinned. The building was shaped like a rectangle with a square cut out in the middle of it. The square served as a courtyard of sorts. The building, in its entirety, was painted a dull blue colour, except for the top floor, which was painted a dull orange colour with brighter orange swirls placed at random places on the walls. Thus the building ended up having a single orange stripe. Hanabi chuckled again; she wondered how Naruto managed to persuade the landlords to paint the building that colour.

She admired the building as she walked through the gates and up the stairs. She counted four doors on each floor, and concluded that the apartments had to be spacious, as the building itself could take up half of the branch family's training grounds, and the training ground was excessively huge.

Hanabi arrived at the top floor and glanced around. There was only one door on this floor. She shrugged and walking down the long hallway and knocked on it. She waited a few seconds before knocking on it again. A minute passed and she knocked on the door again. After five minutes, she started pounding on the door. She was sure he was home; he didn't seem like the type to rise anytime before noon, and it was only around ten or so.

Hanabi was so into pounding at the door that she didn't realize she'd been pounding on Naruto's chest until he grabbed a hold of her hand.

"Urr…umm…sorry—" Hanabi's apology was interrupted as Naruto yanked her into the room and slammed the door shut.

Hanabi stumbled into the flat. She grabbed a hold of a small table to prevent herself from falling down.

Naruto scowled. He despised being rudely awakened when he was sleeping. And Hanabi pounding on his door was, by his standards, considered to be rude. He was always irritable and cranky when he woke up early.

He stalked pass Hanabi and headed towards the kitchen. After pouring himself a cup of juice he realized that Hanabi wasn't in the kitchen with him. He screwed up his face in annoyance and walked back out to the front. As he suspected, she was still standing by the door, analyzing his flat.

"Are you coming or not?" He asked, leaning against the archway that led to the kitchen.

Hanabi scowled at him and replied, "You know, standard etiquette states that a person should stay put unless invited in,"

"…"

Naruto scoffed and went back into the kitchen. Hanabi smirked and took her shoes off before following Naruto. She had to say though, his flat looked expensive. Mahogany flooring, satin couches, a flat screen T.V. that took up half a wall, and lots of space were a few things that she noticed as she followed him. Though, it wasn't until she arrived at the kitchen and peeked through another archway located at the other end of the vast kitchen that she realized the entire top floor was his flat.

Naruto settled himself on the edge of the wood and metal island, sipped his juice, and stared at Hanabi for a few seconds. He thought it funny that she matched his kitchen. He could grow accustomed to seeing her in his kitchen. Who was he kidding, he told himself, he didn't even know her that well. The only thing that they'd established was that they were physically attracted to each other. He sighed. He wondered if there would be anything more than physical attraction between them. He doubted it though. She didn't seem like the strings attached type. Little did he know that similar thoughts were racing through Hanabi's mind.

"So…," Naruto started, "What brings you knocking at my door so early in the morning?"

Hanabi scoffed and rolled her eyes. She shrugged out of her Hyuuga robes and neatly folded it over the back of a chair. She then sat on a stool that was opposite the island, and turned it around so that she was facing Naruto and her back was pressed against the counter.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the regalia she was wearing underneath the robe. "Going or coming from a mission?" he asked. He wondered if she always dressed like that under those robes. Something told him she did. It left much to his imagination.

"You know," Hanabi started in a condescending tone, "you have bad social skills. I'd like something to drink please."

Naruto merely raised an eyebrow and said, "So…you come to my house and wake me up out of my much needed rest, to ask me for something to drink?" Naruto watched as Hanabi's lips quivered for the slightest of seconds. He assumed that was her version of a chuckle. He hopped off the island and fished around in his cupboards for a clean glass. He rinsed it out then poured her some juice. He handed it to her.

Hanabi took the glass and stared at it as if it was some type of deadly poison. She looked up at him, "Who told you I wanted juice?" she asked.

"Aww, that's too bad," Naruto replied, "I only stock juice and ramen in my house."

Hanabi drank it anyway. "Ahh, I need your help with a little problem I have." Hanabi stated.

"Does this concern the assassination thing?" Naruto asked, reclaiming his seat on the island. He'd figured that someone from the Hyuuga clan would be seeking him out soon. Seeing as he overheard the assassins talking… It was fate or convenience or luck that it happened to be Hanabi.

"Yeah," Hanabi replied. She figured it would be best if she got straight to the point. "You see, two ninjas came to assassinate me a few hours after you left…" she blushed "I killed one of them and the other one escaped. The one I killed happened to be a Hyuuga from the branch family and so…"

Naruto listened intently as Hanabi gave him a detailed version of what happened, and why she needed his help.

"I believe someone is trying to frame me." Hanabi concluded. It was the only reasonable and logical assumption she could've come up with.

"Why do you think that?" Naruto asked, quite bemused.

"The title match for clan leader is coming up; if anything happens to me, for example if I die or become imprisoned, Hinata automatically gets the title and vice versa." Hanabi stated, "I think this is all some part of a scheme to ensure Hinata becomes leader." Hanabi frowned, and a thought ran through her mind. Would it be that bad if Hinata became leader? The only consequence of that would be her getting sealed. Surely there was some way to bypass that though…

"I'm kind of sketchy on Hyuuga standards," Naruto admitted, "but if Hinata won, wouldn't that mean you'd get sealed?"

"Yes, it would." Hanabi replied. "And that's the only problem. I'd gladly hand over my title as heiress to her if that stupid sealing rule wasn't in place." She scowled. She detested them and their ridiculous traditions.

Naruto lowered his face, so that she wouldn't see his smile. He couldn't help it; she looked sort of cute when she scowled. Here she was, asking him for his help, and all he could do was smile at her and think how cute she was. He also found it funny that they'd officially met only two weeks ago, and here she was sitting up in his kitchen, like they were old friends or something.

"So…what do you want me to do about that?" Naruto asked, puzzled. He was positive there was nothing he could do about the sealing thing. Or maybe there was something…

Hanabi sighed. She felt almost defeated. "Well, there's nothing you can do about the sealing thing. But, you can help me out of this trial thing. Shizune-sama told me that you overheard the assassin who escaped. If you can make a convincing argument to the council, on my behalf, that they were assassins, then I'd be home free. Will you do it for me?" she swallowed, "please?"

Naruto smiled at her. "Yeah, I'll do it. But what's in it for me?"

This time, Hanabi smirked. She was expecting he'd say something like that. "I figured you'd say something like that so…is a repeat of last night good for you?" Hell, she wouldn't mind doing it. She was actually enjoying herself, until Kakashi and that pink haired girl popped up. She had a nasty feeling that they were up to something.

Naruto considered her offer. He'd be stupid if he didn't accept her offer, but what's to say that after this whole ordeal is over, she'd go about her business, pretending he never existed?

"Hmm…" he started, "You make an exceptional offer," Hanabi blushed and lowered her face. "But," he continued, "I'll have to take your offer before my board of directors for deliberation. Give me a minute will you. This will not take long,"

Hanabi stared at him as he made three shadow clones. The clones and Naruto moved to one side of the kitchen, and were actually debating her offer. Hanabi could not believe that he was serious. A rare chuckle escaped her lips, as the debate was concluded. The clones vanished, and Naruto walked back over to her, with a mile wide smile plastered on his face.

"Well, the board of directors does not approve of your offer," He started. Hanabi almost fell out of her chair. "However, the board is willing to compromise your offer. Instead of a repeat performance, I want to go on a date with you, a real one. How about that?"

"Sure, I guess," Hanabi replied. She wondered when things had become so friendly between them. "Umm, I guess I'll get back now. I'm not even supposed to be off the estate. The trial starts at three. You'd better come." She slid off her seat and glided towards Naruto, who merely raised an eyebrow. "As an incentive…" Hanabi rose on the tips of her toes and kissed him teasingly on the lips.

Before Naruto's hands could pull her towards him, she quickly stepped out his reach.

"Nuh-uh, come and maybe you'll get another one…" She quickly slipped on her robes.

"You know, you are a very good tease." Naruto stated, while he followed her to the door.

Hanabi paused before she descended the staircase, and said, "I like you. I don't know why yet, but I like you. Expect to get teased often." She stuck out her tongue and disappeared down the stairs.

Naruto chuckled to himself. He was so going to enjoy his day. He was going to make it fun, seeing as this was his last day of vacation.

End of Chapter

**I kno rite, lawl. Sorry it's shorter than the norm, probably the shortest chapter in this story. I'm bad with updates, but college is proving to be time consuming, that and I'm working on my own original story^_^, yep. It's good so far. Now, that someone offered to be my beta, I figure chappies will come out faster :D. So you guys owe this update to shuriyuki-san. Its thanks to him this is getting updated :P I'd have eventually updated sometime in December, when I'm actually on a break and not working.**

**But, the point is, I'm back *_* :3 **

**shippu27**


	12. Chapter 12

**Woot! Here it is! ^_^ I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed. Nice to know people are still tuned in to this ;o**

Chapter Twelve

Hanabi silently and stealthily crept back on to the estate. As she made her way around the branch family quarters, she realized her absence went unnoticed. Any branch family members she came across either avoided looking at her or sent her glares. However, when she entered the main family compound, she received nods and small greetings from those who thought they were 'superior' to the branch family. She fixed a scowl to her face and ignored them.

As she walked lazily through the house, she realized most of the elders and servants and branch family representatives, who were there earlier, were now absent. She figured they were probably in a meeting with her father. She sighed. It wasn't like she was really worried about the trial, because if push came to shove, she could just invoke the Third Hyuga Act, which would, in case she was proven guilty, halt all trial proceedings until the title match took place. The only problem with this was that if she lost the match she would be at the mercy of Hinata. And since Hinata had the branch family in her bosom, they'd be expecting her to dish out a cruel punishment to Hanabi as retribution for killing the assassin.

Speaking of Hinata, she wondered if she had anything to do with this whole assassination thing. Hanabi turned on her heel and headed towards Hinata's room. Hanabi found it strange that no one was casting eyes at her sister. Then again, everyone thought Hinata was a generous gentle soul. The fools, Hanabi thought.

As she made her way towards her sister's room, she noticed the door was cracked open a sliver.

Hanabi placed her palm on the door and pushed it open "Hinaaaaaaaaaaaa……ta?" She faltered at the sight before her. Oh Wow, Hanabi thought. So here was her saintly sister pushed up against the wall, hair mustered, skin flush, with one leg wrapped around some guy's back, arms wrapped tightly around his neck and she was so passionately sucking face that she nor her 'buddy' noticed Hanabi. The fact that the two of them here missing a few items of clothing only made Hanabi deduced that they were about to do something naughty.

Hanabi stayed in the doorway unnoticed as the guy buried his head in the Hinata's neck causing her to throw back her head and moan rather loudly. A malicious grin broke out on Hanabi's face.

"_Whoa_, any louder and people might think you're in pain." Hanabi stated with a smirk on her face.

Hinata eyes flew open in shock. "Hanabi!" She pushed her self away from her lover and quickly donned her robe, which was pooled around her feet.

"Hanabi!" Hinata said, out of breath, "How dare you enter my room without announcing yourself. I could have you punished for that!"

"Actually dear sister," Hanabi started, in a bored drawl, "you door was never closed. It was crack open. How was I supposed to know that you were _entertaining_ somebody in here?"

Hinata looked lost for words. She was getting so angry that her breath came out in ragged pants. "Get out of my room!"

It was then that Hanabi noticed the guy was avoiding looking in her direction. She completely ignored her sister's demands and tried to catch a glimpse of his face. But every time she came close to him, he'd move away from her, or deliberately turn his head in the other direction. All she could see was a mass of black hair in a style she would say resembled the back of a small chicken.

Darting underneath Hinata's reach, Hanabi managed to grab a hold of the guy. She was about to turn him around when Hinata grabbed her by the back of her robes and flung her forcefully out of her room.

Hinata glared at her sister. "You will speak of none of this." Hanabi snorted and quickly kicked Hinata in her shin and fled down the hall, into the safe confines of her own room. She locked her door and laughed maliciously. She wondered if Hinata realized her byakugan was on. She doubted it though, she only had it on for second or two, just enough to glimpse the guy's face.

Hanabi smirked as she smoothed out her robe. She now had something to blackmail Hinata with. She'd been surprised to find out that it was not Kiba, however, she couldn't put a name to the guy's face though she was sure she'd seen him before. Pushing him and Hinata out of her mind, Hanabi quietly snuck back out of her room and made a beeline for the library. Hopefully, she'd be able to find something in there that would help her case.

***

Naruto walked through the main business square in Konoha in the disguise of an old maid. It was the disguise he always used when leaving his home to go to his other house. Because he was becoming so famous, he figured he needed two houses. His first house was an expansive structure located in the heart of the main business square. This house served as a decoy for the media. In fact any person who resided in the business square was famous in some way. And because of this, the square was frequented by media vultures waiting outside at all hours of the night, salivating, just to snap a picture of a celebrity.

Naruto was smart enough to build his second house in the heart of the slums, the last place any media affiliated person would think to look for him. And while he was in his house in the slums, he had a shadow clone walking about in his house in the square. Occasionally the clone would come outside to empty the garbage or wave at people, just to give the guise that he really was there.

Thus, every morning, Naruto would walk to his decoy house in the guise of an old maid who worked for Naruto. Sure enough, most of his friends knew about his little plan to escape the media, but only Tsunade and Shizune, well and Hanabi now, knew where he truly lived. Oh, and Kakashi too. Till this day, Naruto still couldn't figure out how Kakshi found out.

Naruto, playing his disguise well, hobble through the square with the gait of an old woman. Many people hailed him and made way for him to pass. If it was one thing he learned from playing and old person is that the elderly received automatic respect for everything. They were allowed to skip lines, and got preferential treatment to everybody else, even the most famous of celebrities. Naruto smiled wryly at himself; he'd often abused this privilege. In fact, whenever he went to pay bills or do business in the square, he went in the guise of the old maid. He kept telling himself that one of these days he'd get caught.

Naruto hobbled up the steps towards his decoy house. He ignored the flashes of light as media vultures took pictures of him as he opened the door. 'Naruto's maid arriving to work as usual' would be the caption of this picture in tomorrow's tabloid paper. He chuckled to himself.

As soon as he closed the door his clone appeared in front of him. While he made his way to the kitchen, the clone briefed him on what all activities happened during the night; he didn't miss much. He vanished his clone and dispelled his disguise.

Naruto glanced at the clock. He still had about two hours to go before Hanabi's little trial thingy started. Since he'd thought up a good argument for her while he was walking here, he pretty much had nothing left to do. Grabbing, a bottle of juice out of the fridge, he waddled to the living room and switched on the T.V. Just in time to catch the beginning of Ino's show.

You see, when Ino wasn't on a mission or on an assignment from Tsunade, or helping out with her parent's flower shop, she was an anchorwoman on everyone's favourite tabloid channel, Konoha Entertainment. K.E. was the channel the general public watched when they wanted the scoop and scandals of their favourite celebrities. Naruto could remember several times when Ino had tried to get him to do something scandalous, so she could dramatically announce it to the public. Naruto chuckled. Though he had to say, Ino had the face and the voice for it. He turned up the volume as Ino began her show.

_Gooooooood Afternoon Konoha, this is your ever favourite and beautiful anchorwoman, Ino Yamanaka speaking. *she grinned brightly* Now, I know all of you are wondering who's gonna be our celebrity highlight for today, well, let me tell you, it's no other than our favourite hokage-hopeful, and unpredictable ninja, Naruto Uzumaki._

Naruto smirked as a picture of him flashed on the screen. He wondered what Ino thought up this time.

_Now, since Naruto's fame began to spread through Konoha, everyone's been trying to catch him in some scandalous activity…*her grin got even wider*…well, our Mr. Good Deeds has been good until now. *she now wore a wicked grin.*_

It was almost as if she was smirking at Naruto herself. Naruto merely quirked his eye at the screen. They'd tried to pin him down in some scandalous activity before, but it didn't work. He doubted it'd work this time.

_We, at K.E. have manage to get our greedy little paws on a certain item that would prove to all that Naruto Uzumaki, is as scandalous as they come. Now, I know you all are like, what is she talking about? But, I tell you, it is very compromising. *she chuckled* Now everyone thought that Naruto's love interest was the unyielding Sakura Haruno, the general director of the main hospital, however, this picture proves us __**very**__ wrong!!!!!!_

An intimate picture of Naruto and Hanabi flashed on the screen, and Naruto spat the juice out of his mouth. It was a picture of him and Hanabi when they first met – when she'd fallen on him out of the tree. Her hair was cascading round her head so her face wasn't visible. And she hadn't worn her Hyuga robes that night so she would still remain anonymous. But it was clear that she was on top of Naruto in the picture. It wouldn't have been a bad picture if they were standing next to each other, but they were in such an intimate position that people would mistake them for lovers. But weren't they? Well, they had the potential to become lovers. Oh My Gosh, Naruto thought. He was so screwed over. At least Hanabi was safe. There thousands upon thousands of girls with black hair in Konoha.

_Oh yeah! That's Naruto alright. The question is who is this femme fatale that has our Naruto in her little clutches? We would love to know. Wouldn't you also like to know how long this 'affair' has been going on? Can you imagine if this chick turned out to be someone important? Or is it a mistress? Oh wow, wouldn't that be scandalously scandalous? Join us next week at this same time, and we just might have some answers for you. *she smiled dazzlingly* This was brought to you buy…._

Naruto shut off the T.V. He wondered if Hanabi saw that. He figured she'd be serious, seeing as her title match was coming up and all. He could already imagine having to implore all his creativity in devising ways to avoid and evade the media.

The show hadn't even been over three minutes yet and he could already hear the tabloids ringing his doorbell and pounding on his door. As he thought about it, he let out a frustrated yell. There was only one person who was there at the time who could've taken that picture. Naruto gathered himself together. He was going to have a little 'session' with Kakashi. But first, he'd have to duck out the media. Oh well, he thought, time for the old lady disguise again.

***

Hinata paced a path in the floor of her room whilst muttering expletives quietly to her self.

"Oh wow, I never knew you had such a potty mouth" her lover teased. Hinata snatch a pillow off her bed and threw it at him in retaliation. The guy caught it and chuckled. "Don't get mad at me. I told you to come to my place but no, you were so sure that we wouldn't be disturbed,"

Hinata sent him a glare. And he smiled wryly at her. The guy glided up behind her and passionately embraced her. He buried his face in her hair and placed a kiss at the nape of her neck. Swaying with her in the gentle breeze that was blowing through an open window, he said, "You know, I could take care of her if you want me to…"

Hinata leaned into the embrace and her anger disappeared. She thought for a moment. "No," she stated, "I'll do it myself. I know exactly how to deal with her,"

Her lover released her and pouted. "You never let me do anything for you…" her lover whined while twirling her around.

Hinata stared into his flawless face and a smirk formed on her face. "Really? I was thinking that I let you do a lot most of the time. You did a lot last week, especially last week,"

Her lover blushed and Hinata grinned. "I mean besides _that_, you always do stuff yourself. I want to help." Her lover said, moving away from her to dress himself.

Hinata thought for a quick second. He had wanted to help her for some time now, but she didn't really want to involve him. But, she knew if she kept denying his help, he'd do something to help her anyway. And that was what she was afraid of. He could jeopardize her whole plan. Thus she had to think of a way to keep hi occupied, while making him believe he was helping her out. Or maybe, he really could help her out. She was unsure what the clan's next move would be due to this whole assassination attempt on Hanabi. After the whole trial was over and the branch family was satisfied, people would start pointing fingers at her. And she'd be clouded with suspicion seeing that Hanabi was her opponent, and she would be the only one to benefit if something were to happen to Hanabi.

"Well," Hinata started, "if you want to help so badly, you could find out who sent those assassins. That would be a great help."

Her lover merely raised an eye. "I thought you didn't care about that?"

"As much as I don't want to, I do care." Hinata said truthfully. "Regardless of our differences, Hanabi still is my sister. And as much as I like to berate her, I'd miss her if she died. Well, that and I'd be crowded in suspicion seeing that I'm contesting her for clan leader."

"Uh-huh," her lover said, figuring out her reasoning behind her request. "I see, killing two birds with one stone. If you could present the person who hired the assassin to the main family, you'd be a little in their favour. Or if you could prove that there was no assassin, and Hanabi simply murdered him, the branch family would definitely be in your family. Smart," he nodded his head at her in approval.

"As always, you're quick to everything." Hinata said, smiling at him. She placed a kiss on his cheek. "Now get out of here, and try not to get catch by the guards. I've work to do. I'll come by you in a day or two to see what you've come up with."

Her lover bowed to her in a mock gesture. "As you wish you my lady," He hopped out the window and vanished in a blur of black.

Hinata smiled. Now that he was pursuing that avenue it left her time to devote a lot of attention to Hanabi. She cursed herself for leaving her door unlocked. Well, that's what she got for being impatient. Now, she had to find a new card to hold over Hanabi's head until her lover found out who hired the assassin.

Hinata hummed a tune to herself while she made her way to the library for some quiet reading and planning. She was pleased with herself. Her plan was working after all: occupy Hanabi with some guy so that she'd be too distracted to focus on her campaign for clan leader. It was working well, if she must say so herself. It was a pity that the guy had to be Naruto. The elder council was enamoured with the hokage, and anyone who had the hokage in their back pocket would be in the council's favour. And since Naruto was the hokage's heart, anyone who had Naruto ultimately had the hokage. That was the only drawback with Hanabi pursuing Naruto. But, it was something Hinata could easily fix.

Hinata smiled and greeted the few servants and old heads she passed on her way to the library. She was going to look for some Hyuga law that would save Hanabi in case she was guilty of her supposed crime. Why was she going to do this? For appearances and promotional reasons of course. Wouldn't she look good if she played the concerned sister looking out for her little sister's well being? Yep, of course she would.

Hinata chuckled to herself. Soon, she'd have this whole clan wrapped around her little finger, whether they liked it or not.

_End of Chapter_

**Whoo! More plots! Yep, this is turning out to be a plot-tastic story, lawl. Yep, I betcha you didn't think I was gonna update before Christmas came rolling around ;p ha!. **

**Yep, I was inspired by my friend's imaginary friend, Rudolph the talking biscuit. XD**

**I know you're all wondering who this guy is Hinata's lovin, XD, lol. Well, I don't know yet, well I have a clue but I'm not to sure it should be him.**

**Now, I might update for X-mas, I dunno, we'll see. If I do, its gonna be a side story. Yep, yeah, I feel accomplished. So, praise to Rudolph the talking biscuit, whooo!**

**Review please, it gives me somewhat inspiration to finish faster, yeah…uh-huh. Lawlz ;p I also wanna know if anyone else found that whole 'passionately embracing' thing hilarious. I know I did, I mean come on, what in the world is a passionate embrace? Lawl, I kill me sometimes XD, Think about it…its funny ;p**

**Anywhoo, thanks for all the previous reviews and thanks so far for all your input ^_^**

**Shippu Jinraikyaku**


	13. Chapter 13

**Woot! Another one ^_^ I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed. I had a hoot from reading them, lawlz.**

Chapter Thirteen

After pouring over old parchments, books, and scrolls for two hours, Hanabi finally unearthed two ways she could avoid being sealed if she lost the title match. One, she could find some way to stall the match until she turned 18, then run away from the clan and hide behind the laws of the Konoha Statute, which basically states she could do as she damn well pleased seeing as she'd be 18 and therefore, legally, an adult with no mandatory obligations. Or, she could go get engaged and marry herself off. Yep, that'd put a halt to everything.

Hanabi snorted. "Like hell I'd get married. No one good enough for me," She said aloud, speaking to her inner self.

"Or rather, there's no one willing to take you,"

Hanabi whirled around in her chair to meet the steady gaze of her older sister. She scowled. She didn't have time to banter with Hinata right now. However, she'd be lying if she said didn't want to irk her.

"So, done entertaining your guest already?" Hanabi said loudly, hoping that a few servants were being nosy and eavesdropping. "Did I kill the mood? I'm sorry; I was just looking out to protect my sister's honourable virtue." Hanabi's face broke out in a grin

Hinata had the urge to strangle Hanabi, but if she wanted her plan to work, she'd need Hanabi to agree to a truce. She sighed, and with much effort, managed to smile at Hanabi. "I'm going to ignore that. Now, I we haven't been the best of friends—

"You don't say," Hanabi interjected sarcastically. She was a bit wary of her sister. She had to be up to something. Hanabi wasn't one to beat around the bush so she blatantly asked, "What do you want? Bribe my silence? I wasn't planning on telling anybody. Well, not yet,"

Hinata frowned. She knew that Hanabi would be sceptical of any pleasantries presented to her but, she'd had a tiny sliver of hope that she'd play along. Oh well, she thought, might as well get to the point then. "Actually no, however that would be good also. You know that only puts you on even footing with me. I keep your secret, you keep mine. I actually want to propose a truce of sorts."

Hanabi quirked an eyebrow. If Hinata wanted a truce then something was up. However, if she could get Hinata off her back for awhile, that'd be awesome. Then she could concentrate on getting out of her problems with the elders, her father, and the council. Hanabi figured it wise to at least listen to what she had to say.

"Go on," Hanabi said while rolling up the scroll she was reading.

Hinata sat up in her chair and cleared her throat. "Now, because you've been so busy getting in trouble and sneaking in and out the estate, you've hardly had enough time to prepare for our title match, and I wish to fight you at your best. So, I've decided to ask the council to postpone the match on my behalf until I think you are ready."

Hanabi stared at her dumbfounded. "What?!"

"Believe it or not, I didn't stutter Hanabi," Hinata stated firmly.

"Why? What do you stand to gain? What do you want in return?" Hanabi rubbed her temple as the questions fired out of her mouth.

Hinata smirked. This was going to be easier than she'd imagine. There was no way Hanabi would refuse her offer. "I already gave you a probable reason why. And as for what I stand to gain is none of your concern. And in return, all you have to do is to continue doing what you are doing now,"

"Which is…?" Hanabi prompted, gesturing with her hand.

Hinata smirked at her sister. "Keep seeing Naruto against father's wishes, thus keeping the council too busy to cast their eyes on me. What I'm after is actually for the greater good of the clan."

Hanabi eyed her sister suspiciously. "I thought you were into Naruto, well not anymore considering…" She trailed off.

"Naruto was just a mere infatuation at the time," Hinata said smoothly. I don't need him anymore, Hinata thought with a chuckle. After all, he wasn't the only one who can tug on the hokage's heart strings. All she had to do was feed Sakura a heartfelt story and reel the bitch in. Once she could get Sakura under her paws, the rest would be child's play.

"I still won't let my guard down," Hanabi said, still trying to figure what Hinata was playing at.

"I wouldn't expect you to," Hinata replied standing up. "Just think about it for awhile," She then quietly left Hanabi to muse about her offer. She smiled maliciously. Yep, everything was falling in line. Soon she'd control everything. She couldn't wait to rub it in Hiashi's face.

Hanabi told herself she'd think over Hinata's offer more deeply later. She glanced at the clock on the wall, according to it; she still had about two hours to go before Naruto showed up. That's if he showed up. He had better come, she thought. She didn't know what she'd do if he didn't but she'd think of something.

With her contingency plan set and ready if the trial was not in her favour, Hanabi left the library and headed for the kitchen. When she arrived, it was nice and empty. She figured they were probably buying supplies for dinner. So she helped herself to whatever was left over in the fridge.

As she finished her sandwich a servant approached her and informed her that she had a visitor.

Genuinely surprised, Hanabi asked, "Really? Who is it?"

The servant unfolded a small parchment on which they wrote the guests names. After scanning it for a second he stated. "Otura N. She's a rather old lady,"

Otura N., Hanabi thought, she didn't know anybody by that name. She repeated the name a few times in her head than it dawned on her. She had to fight a smile from breaking out on her face. "Escort her to the garden please. Let her know I'll be a minute," Hanabi told the servant with a slight grin on her face.

The servant faltered for a second. Hyuga Hanabi had just politely and nicely asked him to do something. And she'd said please. Oh wow, this was so going to be big news. He couldn't wait till his next five minute break. "Right away ma'am," the servant said before bowing and exiting the room.

She burst out in giggles as the servant left the room. She had to give him credit though. At least he was imaginative. She prepared another sandwich and pot of tea. Putting two cups, the pot, and the sandwich on the tray, she went out into the garden.

"Otura-san, how nice of you to visit," Hanabi said with a bright and cheery smile. She placed the tray on a little stone block that was in front of the bench. The servants, who were taking a shortcut through the garden, balked at the sight of Hanabi serving someone else with a smile. This odd behaviour piqued their interest. Who was this old lady that could make Hanabi serve her?

"Oh, I decided it was a nice day to come out the house. It gets boring sitting around the house all day waiting to kick the bucket. How nice of you to prepare a snack for me on such short notice," Otura-san said, her voice ancient and crackling, like old leather.

"Oh, don't mention it," Hanabi said cheerily, playing along with the charade. "I'd been meaning to visit you, but I've been tied up," After a few minutes of mindless banter, Hanabi said, "It's hot out here isn't it; let's go inside where it's cooler." She figured she gave the servants enough to gossip about.

"Oh very well,"

The two of them made their way back into the kitchen, where they stopped briefly for Otura-san to eat her snack and drink her tea. Once they were finished, Hanabi lead Otura to a hidden room that was located within the library. Hanabi could only begin to imagine what rumours were spreading around the estate. She figured every able bodied Hyuga on the Main Family grounds would have their eyes and ears peeled.

"You can revert to your normal self now." Hanabi told Otura, "We're safe in here. Nobody, probably except the cook, knows this room exist. And its warded too so no curious eyes can see it."

Otura nodded and then exploded in a cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared, revealing a grinning Naruto. "So, how was that?"

Hanabi glided towards him and gave him a peck on the lips. "I'll give you points for creativity." She slipped out of Naruto's way before he could grab a hold of her.

"You are very mean," Naruto said, smiling.

"That's why you like me," Hanabi said in a teasing manner. Wow, who knew she was good a flirting.

Naruto's face turned serious for a moment. "You know, that's one of the reasons why I do." He gave her a gaze that made her heart beat a wee bit faster. She blushed and turned around, walking toward on of the chairs in the room.

Naruto claimed a seat opposite her and studied the room. It was Spartan in nature, only containing a single cot and a few chairs, and a small table.

"So have you figured out a way to get me out of a guilty verdict?" Hanabi asked, trying to get straight to the point. She had an inkling if they didn't get the matter out of the way, they never would. For some reason, the thought that she and Naruto were alone were distracting her.

The two of them were alone. In a room that was impossible to find. Alone. And there was a cot. Alone, with two hours to spare. Maybe they could….

"Hanabi?"

"Huh. What?" Hanabi quickly asked, surfacing from her rather naughty thoughts.

Naruto smirked at her. I wonder what distracted her, he thought. He pondered this for a few seconds. "Hmmm, you do realize that we have a good opportunity here…" He gave her that come-hither look and wiggled his eyebrows at her. He wondered when he'd become so comfortable with her. And he also wondered if she realized she was becoming more open to him. He doubted it though. He wasn't going to point it out in any event.

Hanabi blushed and turned her head. "Pervert, get serious, I need help here. There's no time for such things." Oh, I'm such a hypocrite, she thought.

Naruto merely shrugged. "Eh, it was just a suggestion. But you're a pervert too cause you were thinking it."

Hanabi blushed guiltily. "So, but you said it." She covered her mouth with her hand. She lowered her head in embarrassment. How dare her mouth betray her like that.

Naruto laughed at her. "Oh, wow. You're just as perverted as me." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Hanabi the naughty. Heh, I like that."

Hanabi squirmed in her seat, a tad bit uncomfortable. Having Naruto call her naughty was stirring up a feeling inside her she didn't trust herself to deal with. She took a deep breath and cleared her mind.

"Enough teasing," Hanabi stated, getting down to business. "So, how are you going to help me?"

Naruto shrugged and Hanabi almost gave into the urged to slap him.

"Now, now," Naruto chided. "I can't really help you if I don't know what you're being charged for…"

"Oh." She gave him a slight chuckle. How did I forget that, she asked herself. "They're trying to charge me with murder, or at least manslaughter, along with some other trivial things that I can handle."

Naruto gaped at her. "Murder?! What? An assassin comes to kill you and the charge you with murder?"

Hanabi sighed and let some of her sadness leak through the cracks in her façade. "The branch family doesn't like me at all, and most of the elder council is turning against me because I don't kowtow to their every order, whim and fancy. You could almost say I'm a black sheep; trapped yet free."

Naruto suddenly stood up out of his chair and sat down beside her. Then he hugged her. A simple hug that let her know he was with her. At first she had stiffened up, but then she began to relax. That hug told her and explained to her everything; that for the first time, she found a friend.

End.

**Yeah I know, I'ma bitch for ending the chappy there, but I was feeling very lazy. Yeah, I also know I been M.I.A. since like Christmas. It's not my fault though, I blame college. This semester was hell, it was like deep fried puppy shit covered in frosting with sprinkles…..:S I cnt w8 till the semester finishes….which is in 2 more weeks btw. ^_^**

**Then I have the whole break to finish this story. That's my goal now, to complete this before the new semester starts. ^_^ do you think I could do it? Lawlz, I hope so. **

**As always, review plzzzzz. And as soon as exams are done, I'ma spit out the next chappy. ;)**

**Shippu Jinraikayku**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'M ALIVE! And not dead, contrary to popular belief**

**Woot! Another one ^_^ I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed. I had a hoot from reading them, lawlz. Yeah, I sort of liked the first half of this chapter, I hope you do to, lol. Though, I'm not sure I transitioned that scene quite good, well you'll see when you get there ;p.**

**And I kno, this took 4eva! Gee, I had school, and work and work ate up a lot of my life. Working in a hotel is good cause of the money but that's it! Its not fun! I had to work for school and school for work. So, I apologize for this foreverish wait, :D**

Chapter Fourteen

Hanabi sighed gently in Naruto's arms. As much as she'd love to stay that way, her moment of vulnerability was over. She wiggled out of his hold and looked at him with careful eyes.

"umm...thanks..." she whispered, embarrassed. This whole thing was new to her and she didn't want to mess it up.

"Don't mention it." Naruto said smiling at her. He adopted a serious expression. "Now about this trial thing, seems to me the only way to clear your self is to prove it was an assassination attempt."

"That much I figured out, which was why I asked you to come." Hanabi said, "Shizune-sama told me you overheard their conversation, but knowing the council they won't just take your word for it."

"You'll need a good reason why someone will have you assassinated." Naruto commented. "To back up my statement..."

Hanabi frowned, her brows furrowed together in concentration. "Logically, the first person I'd point my finger at would be Hinata."

"Why Hinata?" Naruto asked perplexed. Sure they didn't like each other, but it couldn't be that serious that she'd try to kill her own sister.

"We're both heirs for the Hyuga estate. Father is going to retire soon, which means one of us will have to take over from him. Normally, we'd fight a title match and the winner is the new leader." Hanabi mentioned.

"But, Hinata doesn't have the drive to purposely fight unless it's for protection..."

Hanabi scoffed. "That's what she wants people to think. She's as nasty as they get. Besides she always confronts me directly, I highly doubt she sent the assassin." Hanabi pondered the truce Hinata had proposed.

Naruto pondered that for a second. If he were to take into account what happened in the hokage's office, then there would be some truth to Hanabi's words. Maybe Hinata wasn't as nice as she seemed. (A/N: well durr Naruto, lol) In any event it all came back to Hinata.

"No matter how hard you think about it,: Naruto started, "it all comes back to Hinata. The only way you might weasel your way out is if you point fingers at her and through suspicion in her direction."

Hanabi frowned. "But my instinct tells me it isn't her. I know it wasn't her. Like I said, she always approaches me directly."

Naruto gnawed his lip. "You might not have any choice but to point fingers at Hinata." He thought deeply for a minute. If Hanabi wasn't inclined to think that it was Hinata maybe it was someone else. Hmm..., he thought as he tapped his finger against his chin."Let's just say, hypothetically of course, something happened and both you and Hinata died. Who would be next in line to assume control?"

Hanabi's brow raised in slight surprise. She hadn't thought of that. "I don't really know." She stated after thinking about it. That was a really good question.

A bell chimed and Naruto glanced up at Hanabi questioningly. She sighed and replied, "It's a time bell, and someone rings it every hour, which only means we're running out of time." She chewed her lip nervously. There was only an hour left before the trial. Maybe Naruto was right. The only thing she could do to save herself would be to cast suspicion on Hinata, whom she knew was innocent. Somehow, that just didn't settle with her. She sighed.

Naruto couldn't think of any other way to get Hanabi out of her trial. Pushing suspicion on Hinata wouldn't necessarily clear her name but it would buy her some time. Though, he knew someone who would know the precise course of action to take, but he didn't really want to go to him. If he went and nagged Shikamaru, his lazy friend would help them but he'd ask questions. Questions that would inevitably lead to Ino finding out about him and Hanabi, and once that happened, everyone would find out and everything would be hell for both Hanabi and himself. He sighed in defeat.

"Although I don't want to, I guess I have no choice. I'll say Hinata tried to have me killed." Hanabi admitted. Though, she doubted that'd do anything but by her time.

Hanabi pushed all thoughts of her predicament out of her mind. She figured they had about half an hour before they had to leave her hidey hole. If things were going to go downhill anyway, she might as well enjoy herself before things started to suck.

She deliberately pouted. "Hey, Naruto..."

"Wha?" Naruto sputtered, suddenly pulled from his thoughts. "What happened?"

Hanabi pouted and watched him bite his lip. She figured that was good. She smirked at him. "Distract me?" She asked in a seductive tone, well what she thought was seductive.

"Err...distract you?" Naruto repeated, obviously flustered. "Shouldn't you be concentrating on finding a way out of your trial?"

Hanabi pretended to scratch her ankle and slowly dragged her hand up her leg and let it settle on her thigh. She'd seen Hinata do this before when she was spying on her and her lover or whatever he was to her. "I already agreed to blame Hinata. If there's nothing else I can do, why should I hurt my head? Distract me..." Hanabi had ever so briefly hesitated doing this, her reason being she'd only just met him; but what the hell, she needed the excitement. It was at this moment she'd realized he was the first boy she'd taken a liking to and the first to kiss her, and the first one she'd sneaked in. He was a lot of her firsts.

Naruto hissed out a breath. He was trying to ignore how sexy it was that she'd run her hand over her leg., and how seductive her pout was. Oh how he wanted to just snatch her and post her up against a wall. He clenched his jaw. Now was so not the time, but somehow, because they were in the main house, where it would be forbidden, it made the prospect of it all the more exciting. It was quite feasible too.

Naruto swallowed and asked, "Distract you how?"

Hanabi smirked and slowly crossed her legs, arching her back a little in the process. She let out a raspy breath. She'd also seen Hinata do this. She chewed cutely on her bottom lip. "You don't know how to distract me?"

Naruto opened his mouth and closed it. He moistened his tongue. This was so not happening he told himself. However his inner self replied, of course it is, believe it. What happened to the arrogant, hot tempered girl he'd met only a week ago? He shook his head in reply to her answer.

Hanabi smirked and leaned forward, bringing her shoulders together. She watched in glee as Naruto's eyes latched on her chest. This was yet another move she copied from Hinata dearest. She extended her hand and beckoned toward him. "Well then..._come here_."

"Oh dear... oh no... oh my," Naruto muttered under his breath. How very fortunate and unfortunate was he?

Hinata walked quickly through the halls, her hair bouncing with every step. Servants cleared out of her path, seeing that she was obviously in a rush.

Damnit, she thought. Where the hell is that girl?

In the midst of pouring over scrolls to help her dear sister, she realized that the only way Hanabi was going to weasel out was if she blamed her attempted assassination on Hinata. Normally, such a thing like that wouldn't faze her, but lately she'd been dallying in something not quite legal, or illegal for that matter. And, Hanabi casting suspicion on her would only result in her every movement being shadowed, which meant she'd have to delay her plans.

She strode up the stairs and pushed opened her sister's door, only to find it empty. Damn, where the hell was that girl? She knew she didn't leave the estate, because she overheard several servants whispering that her sister had a guest.

Hinata paused in the doorway, thinking of every possible place on the estate Hanabi could be. The branch family compound was out of the question. Hanabi going there would be like putting a live chicken in a nest of hungry snakes. She wasn't in the library, or on any of the training grounds, which only meant she had to be somewhere inside the house. She had to find her before her trial and somehow bribe her.

Hinata turned on her byakugan and searched her sister's room, no chakra bodies were present, however she did catch a glimpse of flickering blue from the corner of her eye. She turned towards it and realized it was coming from her room, right across the hall.

Hinata smirked. Of course, her room would be the last place she'd expect her sister to be hiding in. But what the hell could Hanabi be doing in her room? She turned off her byakugan and barged into her room. Since all the servants would be heading toward the trial hall, she could raise all the hell she wanted.

"Hanabi, what the hell are you—"

She stopped suddenly when a kunai was pressed to her throat. She swallowed and suddenly stilled.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly.

"Well, your not Hanabi, then again, the orders were to kill the heir. Didn't really state which one. To bad for you." Just as the assassin drew back his hand to slice her throat, Hinata released sharp chakra from her entire body, pushing away her assailant and his kunai. She bounded towards her window and faced her opponent, who was dressed in the typical gaudy assassin outfit of all black. How typical, she thought, some people just had no fashion sense.

"Who sent you—" Hinata was cut off again as the assassin rushed her .

This person is good, she thought, as she parried all of his blows easily. But I'm better. She twirled on her heel and delivered a chakra-enforced kick to her opponents gut. The assassin had tried to cushion the blow by blocking with his arms, a feat which was in vain as the blow shattered his forearms and sent him through the wall.

"Too bad for you," Hinata chuckled, while walking towards her supposed assassin, who had managed to sit up. "Now, tell me, who sent—"

Hinata barely dodged the kunai that came flying out of the assassin's mouth. In the time she took to dodge, her opponent had run through the door.

_Mmmmhmmmm_ Hinata thought maliciously, I love it when they run.

Using her byakugan, she easily tracked the assassin. Servants and guards gave startled yelps as Hinata and her prey played hop-scotch around them. Shuriken and kunai flew randomly about them, breaking through windows or sometimes striking aloof bystanders.

The chase led them to the gardens behind the Council meeting room which, conveniently, was used as the trial hall.

Hinata dodged several kunai and a vicious kick with a hand stand. She then countered with a mean kick to her opponents' already broken arm.

It wasn't until she was a safe enough distance from her opponent that she realized they were right behind the trial hall. It was then that she realized a way to postpone Hanabi's trial. And it would be very dramatic. She grinned.

"If you tell me who sent you, I'll spare your life." Hinata suggested. She quietly gathered chakra in her palms.

"I It doesn't matter." The assassin rasped. 'If I don't kill you, I'll die anyway."

In a blink of an eye, Hinata was crouched in front of the assassin, with her palms on his torso. "Then, die now." Before the assassin could draw back Hinata thrust her palms in the assassins' chest. _Jyuuken_.

The assassin flew through a small rose bush and through the wall of the trial hall, and came to a rolling stop in front of the table of council members. The assassin struggled to sit up, but the damage was too great. With a shuddering cough of blood, the assassin died.

The bell chimed signalling the turn of the hour and Hinata smiled to herself. Her timing was perfect. She didn't doubt for a second that she looked damn dramatic walking through the debris of the wall. She could feel the stares of shock and awe of everyone in the room on her.

She chuckled inwardly at the attention. Hinata was a badass and she knew it.

"Hinata!" Hiashi exclaimed. "What is this?"

**Yes yes, I know, why would I end the chapter like that? Because I could :-) .**

**Anywhoo, I just want to, once again, thank all of you who're still hanging in there reading this. And please, feel free to write a review, it only has to be one word, lawlz.**

**Shippu27**


	15. Chapter 15

**Ugh long story short: I had a crash on my laptop that just wiped all my files for this story, which meant i'd have to read all the chapters that I had posted and try to remember where I was going with this. That was a little bit discouraging, so I just was about to give up on this, but, in a moment of boredom I picked it backed up and thought, eh, I might as well just finish it. Lol, owe it to you guys. So here it is, after a gazillion years.**

**Shippu27**

**P.S. - as always this hasn't been beta'd so excuse the errors.**

Chapter Fifteen

"An assassin," Hinata stated, taking laboured breaths to calm herself down.

"Lord Hiashi, stay back please." Hiashi's guards jumped in front of him.

"Please," Hiashi said with disgust, pushing past his guards heading toward the dead assassin. He turned towards the head of security for the Hyuuga compound. "Kazama! How is it another assassin got into the estate without your knowing?"

Kazama faltered for a moment, then said, "Hiashi-sama, there were no reports of a breach of the estate."

Hinata crouched over the body, pulled off the mask, and gasped.

"What? Who is it?" Hiashi demanded, elbowing his eldest child out of the way. He inhaled sharply.

It was a Hyuga. From the seal on its forehead, someone from the branch family. He moved from the body, and the small crowd that wa sin the room for he trial gasped and murmured at the obvious branch family member.

"This is highly suspicious!" One of the elder's who sat on the council exclaimed. He continued, "How is it that a second branch family member would try another assassination? This is what I was warning you about Hiashi! It's an attempt for a coup d'etat! I suggest an immediate lock down of the branch family estate until an inquiry has been established!"

This brought an uproar from representatives of the main family household and the branch family estate alike. A lock down was akin to prison sentence with maximum security conditions.

"Such unfounded allegations!" Another elder from the council exclaimed amid the clamour. "Just like the main household to cast the blame on us! How do you not know it wasn't someone outside the estate?"

"For what reason would someone outside the state have to meddle with the Hyuga, much less the main household?" The first elder replied, "Hiashi, I implore you to sanction the lock down. They can not be trusted!"

"Are you implying we're criminals?" the other elder angrily asked.

"It has happened before! History often repeats itself!" The elder shouted. Their banter ignited an even greater noise. Hinata slipped away ever so vaguely during their state of confusion.

Hiashi stood there while the small crowd bickered, tensions rising. If he didn't handle this correctly he might very well have a coup d'etat upon his hands. But honestly, two attempted assassinations, an heir match, and now this tension between the families. How easier it would've been if Hizashi were alive. As the clamor grew louder and louder, it became increasingly difficult for Hiashi to hear himself think.

"SILENCE! ALL OF YOU! OR SUFFER SEALING!" He yelled into the noise, using a bit of chakra to help project his voice. The crowd instantly quieted. Great.

"Kazama!"

"Yes Hiashi-sama?" the guard replied, eager to do something. Being the head of the guard, he was in a pretty hot shoe. Since he came in contact with the branch family more often than the main, he figured it'd be best to await an order instead of taking a personal action that might cast him and his guards in disfavor to either households.

Hiashi turned to him while taking off his robe and throwing it over the body. "Alert the ANBU, have them send an examiner over for the body. Increase the patrol among the branch family estate, also, have someone see to the repairs of the room." He turned to the crowd. " The council will break until there has been a general meeting on the affairs going on in the estate! All trials and previously scheduled meetings with the grand council will be temporarily on hold until further notice. All existing sentences are still in effect until stated otherwise. Any new situations that require a council trial will be held by your inclusive council in the estate you reside! Until further notice these orders are effective immediately! You are dismissed!"

With hushed murmurs everyone slowly filed out of the room while trying to get a proper glance at the body. When only Hiashi remained, he summoned two guards to guard the room and the body, and gave them strict instructions to keep anyone unauthorized out. He then took himself off to his private quarters until the ANBU arrived.

"Something's amiss" Hanabi stated while escorting Naruto, or rather Otura-san back to the entrance.

"How do you figure?" Naruto asked, while glancing around. Surprisingly, after they left the secret room, they didn't run across anyone.

"Despite we stayed in that room past my trial time, no one has been looking for me." Hanabi replied slowly donning on her usualy demeanor. She continued, "I wonder what happened?" She used her byakugan while they walked, stretching her vision to see if anything unusualwas happening.

Naruto glanced at her and was tempted to grope her a bit, but decided it would look odd for an old woman to be inappropiately touching the heir. He studied the little veins that appeared around her eyes while she peered about discreetly. This girl was growing on him. During their intimate moment in the little secret room, she shared with him her reason for her behavior, why she's the way she is. He found them to be similar in a sense. They were both lonely people. He grinned, they were also both attractive hormonal young people. The implications were endless.

Thinking more of the room, they were quite different as well. Where his emotions showed on his face and lives in his words, hers are portrayed in her actions. The way she clung to his body, just showing the need for company, a desire to be seen other than a puppet. Her passionate kisses were sometimes fierce with anger, soft with sadness, gentle with empathy. The strong hands that held his head in place, that raked his back, that roamed his body, were just eager with excitement. The sounds, the scents. Ugh, he thought, there was no denying they had some kind of bond on some level. Besides somewhat fulfilling a physical need for both of them, the short time in that room also brought an understanding between them. He wondered if she felt the same way. His desire for her company was only growing stronger.

"...heard me?"

"Huh, " Naruto shook his head to clear his thoughts. "What were you asking?"

"I asked what were you thinking...?" Hanabi replied. She was finding him to be oddly comforting.

"Oh dear," Naruto started, making sure to stay true to his disguise, "you don't want to know. But i'll tell you anyway. This old woman had thoughts that ressurect these old breasts of mine, as well as replenish the water in this old well that has been dried for many centuries..."

The smallest of twitches appeared around the corners of Hanabi's lips. "Really, for an old hag like you, you should retire from such thoughts. I doubt that dust factroy of a body can even produce enough steam for moisture, much less a full drop of water for a well."

Naruto chuckled. "Such description"

"I was right, something is amiss. There's some clamor at the branch family estate. I wonder what happened..." Hanabi stated tilting her head ever so carefully to the right.

Naruto looked around and only saw the decorated pathway that was leading to the main entrance to the Hyuga estate. Sure there were buildings a bit in the distance around them but there was nothing amiss he could see. "Really? I don't see anything, how are y- right.. Fancy eyes you got there." He teased. "I'd hope you weren't oogling my naked body..."

Hanabi made something akin to a snort. "Like your grotesque body is something to look at. Please we Hyuga's have a strict code of moral honor about the use of our byakugan."

Though as she signed him out the estate, she casually mentioned, "Though sometimes duty dictates a call to...forget about it, as it may." She gave the slightest tilt of her head in acknowledgement as Naruto walked away chuckling.

When he was a good much away, the guard said, "Hanabi-san, you should not be out. There was another assassination attempt. There is unsettling tension. It'd be best if you stayed within the main household."

Hanabi thanked the guard, a relatively young one. Probably fresh from the academy she supposed. And how he'd addressed her, she assumed he must have not heard much about her. He flustered a bit at her gratitude. Hanabi turned and ninja-sped her way back to the main compound. She figured she'd bring herself up to speed about the assassination attempt. Reaching the compound, she covered herself in a servants robe, as to avoid people, and headed towards her father's private quarters.

End of Chapter

**A/N:**

**Heh I know I know its terribly short after a hell of an absence, but I took some time to read back up the previous chapters and try to think of some ways to tie up all these plots. As i'm aiming for this to be completed with 20 chapters, the next five will be a bit long and quite eventful, As always R&R. It's good to be back a bit heh. Hope you guys will stick around.**

**shippu27**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys, thanks for the reviews :) Heh I know its been a bit but I was trying to make this chapter good and lengthy. Not sure if I succeeded cause this was difficult to write, so many ways to launch the last arc. Enjoy :3 **

**shippu27**

Chapter Sixteen

Hinata sat in the common gardens, deep in thought. She had it all figured it out. Her plan was going to be flawless but now there was only one slight hiccup. However she could handle it, and in fact use it to her advantage. Yes, she thought while tapping her chin, she would no longer need her original plan. Whoever sent the assassins did her a favor. Until that situation was sorted out the heir match would be postponed indefinitely. However, if her father remained true to form, the inquiry would be performed as soon as possible, and in no time things will get back to normal. So her task now was to find some way to keep the tension up. As the person who killed the latest assassin she dared not go into the branch family at this moment. She leaned back a little and exhaled.

"Something bothering you?"

Hinata swiveled her head towards the voice and saw Neji standing there. She didn't even hear him approach. "Neji-nii-san, when did you get here?" She asked smiling at him.

Neji sat next to his mysterious cousin. "A few moments ago, are you here escaping the clamour as well?"

Hinata nodded. "I assume all the elders will be looking for you now?"

Neji sighed. "Thankfully Mameha-baa-san scared them away for now. But truthfully I've come to ask how are you? You're not worried about yourself? Someone in the family has it out for you and Hanabi-san."

Hinata shrugged. "I'll be fine, I can hold my own, however I'm not too confident about Hanabi. She's been getting in all sorts of trouble with father lately."

Neji smirked. "Oh I think she'll be just fine. She apparently has her own agenda from what I've heard. Though we should be careful Hinata."

I wonder what he knows on Hanabi, she thought. Maybe she was able to enlist Neji to aide her in her troubles. "We? Why should we be careful? Shouldn't we watch out for Hanabi? Despite our issues she really does worry me at times."

Neji folded his arms and stated with cold confidence, "I think it's someone from either the main household or the branch household who's behind all of this. If you think about it, it's like we're being set up."

"Why would you say that?" Hinata asked, a little bit cautious. She'll definitely have to choose what she says wisely else he might catch on.

"With Hiashi-sama's retirement approaching soon, an heir has to be named. Seems to me someone is trying to remove the current heirs so they can easily slide into the spot as clan leader." Neji whispered. Ears were everywhere, and with such tension in the estate, anything could be used as a weapon. The ambitious will use this tension to their own benefit and he'd prefer if nothing he said would help them.

Hinata pondered a bit on what Neji was saying. It was credible enough. If he was right it would seem someone was entering into her game. "Hmm I wonder - "

"Neji-sama! Lord Hiashi requests your presence!" A servant interrupted, appearing out of nowhere.

Neji stood and said, "If you could Hinata, pass it on to Hanabi." With that said he left with servant.

It wasn't until some minutes that Neji left she realized he only told her the obvious. She pondered some more for a bit before getting up. Maybe she should go into the branch family after all. Start a few rumours and get herself into the good graces of the branch family. She'll visit the family of the assassin first. Give them her bullshit sympathy and play the empathy card. That should work nicely in her favor.

Hanabi entered into her father's chambers via the servant's entrance. It was the first time she had done so, and she had to admit, she felt a good rush knowing she might hear something she shouldn't. She tiptoed along the hallway that would take her to a room right before her father's chamber.

As she slowly made her way, she thought of her predicament. It was high time she restored herself to her former state of being and get the ball rolling. She had a match she didn't wish to fight in, but had no choice and she also had an investigation on her hands. Maybe the recent incident with Hinata would clear up her case. Thinking on it now, it was ludicrous to believe she had cause to murder someone from her own clan. What reason would she have for trying to assassinate herself? At most, she figured it'd cast suspicion on Hinata seeing that the match was looming, but most of the main family knew she didn't really want to fight her sister. She's told them that, much to their dismay. Her arguing with the council was why her father and most of the main family was riding her so hard. She remembered that night quite vividly...

_*Flashback*_

_Hanabi walked into the council room, annoyed. For what reason the council deemed it necessary to interrupt her while she was eating, she didn't know, but it had better be something important._

"_Good evening Hanabi," one of the council members greeted._

"_...", Hanabi stared at the speaker. She'd prefer if they got straight to the point, her food was getting cold._

_Hiashi cleared his throat._

"_Father, elders," Hanabi spat out giving the slightest tilt of her head in greeting. Oh how she despised the council._

_A few seconds past where no one said anything. Hanabi stared at the seven faces who were sitting behind the table. A few were expressionless, the others a bit uneasy. She'd decided they all had five seconds to speak or she was leaving to resume her meal then go to bed._

_Just as she was about to turn to leave one of the elders said, "Right, Hanabi, we've decided that we would like you to be the heir."_

"_What?" Hanabi said with genuine surprise._

_One of the other elders explained, "Yes, we would like you to succeed Hiashi in place of your sister."_

_Hanabi thought for a minute. She hardly cared about the affairs of her sister, but as far she knew it was tradition that the first born succeed the clan leader. Furthermore she had no desire to lead a clan, nor be pushed into the branch family for that matter._

"_For what reason?" she asked._

_Another elder spoke this time. "We believe that Hinata does not have the requirements needed to run and lead the clan efficiently. She has proven herself to be too soft, whereas you possess the cold relentlessness of your father; a trait that has shown to be benefitial in a leader. The clan would continue to flourish under your reign. It is an honor for you to be in such a position. Never before has there been a female clan leader. With the direction from the council you can make Hyuga history."_

_Hanabi folded her hands across her chest, feigning contemplation. She scoffed. "I refuse."_

"_What was that?" Hiashi asked. A few of the elders stared at her as if she committed some great act of insult._

_Hanabi shrugged. "I said I refuse. I have no desire to lead this clan, nor do I wish to usurp Hinata in such a manner."_

_Hiashi stared at his daughter. "Hanabi, such an offer isn't made every day. You should reconsider."_

_Hanabi raised her head in slight defiance. "I have considered and I'm telling you no. Do you not comprehend?"_

_One of the elders spoke up, "I told you Hiashi-sama, she would not easily agree. I suppose she feels she has an obligation to her sister."_

_Hanabi laughed, "Obligation to Hinata? I'm as obliged to her as I am to this clan, which is by circumstance and not choice."_

_The council gasped. Hiashi exhaled, his daughter was truly testing his temper. "Hanabi mind your tongue."_

_Another council member suggested, "Hanabi, I'm confident you wish to be leader but due to your sister's nature, you may not wish to hurt her, but I can assure you Hinata will be fine with it. Perhaps if you do not feel sure with this unconventional method, how about you fight her for leadership. Title matches have been used before to determine a clan leader many times."_

"_An excellent suggestion." one of the elders agreed._

"_So it is settled then, you will fight with Hinata and assume the role as clan heir. You will do well as leader. We can now rest easy knowing the clan is in capable hands." another elder stated. "Do you agree Hiashi-sama?"_

_Hiashi gave the slightest nod of his head._

_Hanabi stood there in awe. Look at them going on as if she agreed to their decision. So I am to take directives from you guys as clan leader then, Hanabi thought._

"_Don't get it twisted or misconstrued," She started, "I have no intention whatsoever of being clan leader. I have no desire to fight Hinata to be trapped down by the clan. You won't use me as your excuses to hold on to power, to have another few years of seeing things run how you guys want it. If you think I'll accept your ridiculous position so you can lead through me you're terribly mistaken! You'll have a better chance of pushing your views onto Hinata."_

"_Such ungratefulness!"_

"_How impertinent!"_

_All the members of the council started to argue amongst themselves at her outburst._

"_Hanabi you will fight this match, and you will become clan leader! Or you will sorely regret it!" one of the clan elders shouted. The other elders agreed._

"_The only thing I will regret is being born into this generation of Hyuga where you guys are still alive. This conversation is finished and I will hear no more of it!" Hanabi turned on her heel and exited the council room, which was in a mild uproar. Her food was probably cold now. She kissed her teeth._

_*End Flashback*_

The ridiculousness of her clan knew no end. She scoffed at the memory and continued on her way. She was now in the room that lead to a small opening in her father's closet where the servants came and went when cleaning up. Just as she was about to barge through, hoping to take her father by surprise, she heard a familiar voice and decided to eavesdrop. Sounds like Neji-nii-san and father, she thought.

She climbed up on the ceiling of the room and crept closer to the door way. She'd be able to hear them better and if anyone unexpectedly opened the door they wouldn't see her right away and she'd have time to disguise herself with the servant's robes.

"...you wish for me to do what exactly? I think I misheard you" she heard Neji say.

"You heard me correctly. Just prepare yourself for it. I don't have much faith in them."

"As you wish, uncle."

Hanabi waited until she heard Neji leave and her father reclined back in his chair, then she hopped back down to the ground. She pondered what she just heard and filed her thoughts on it for further contemplation. It was time to face her father.

She silently crept through the entrance being as noiseless as possible. She ducked under the little overhang and came upon her father sitting in the chair

"Hello Father," Hanabi casually mentioned.

Startled, Hiashi knocked over a pot of tea he was drinking, and swiveled to see his daughter standing behind him, looking bored.

"Did I startle you? I'm sorry." Score one for Hanabi, she thought. It wasn't easy to startle her father.

"What are you doing here?!" Hiashi sputtered in feigned anger. He felt a bit embarrassed that he was caught off guard. "I didn't summon you."

Hanabi took a seat and sat down in one of the chairs by the little table where the tea was currently running off of. "I summoned myself."

Hiashi eyed his daughter in surprised. It would seem she relocated her spine again; the council had effectively broken her spirit in the weeks following her refusal to usurp Hinata. "For what reason?" he asked while cleaning up the mess he made.

"I heard there was an assassination attempt on Hinata." Hanabi stated.

Hiashi reclaimed his seat. He took her silence as indication that she wanted him to update her on the events that happened. Just this once, he'd entertain her. With all that was going on and all that would be going on he'd need his rest. "Yes, there was an attempt on her life. However, she terminated her threat, and like your incident, the assassin was revealed to be a Hyuga, which has resulted in clamour. You would know this if you were there. Why weren't you present? Where were you?"

Hanabi shrugged in reply to her father's questions. Her focus was more on getting behind these assassination attempts. "I had a visitor I had to attend to. And concerning my trial?"

Hiashi scoffed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Times like these was when he missed his wife the most. "Visitor? You bring that boy back on this estate, and I will find time to deal with you. Understood?"

Hanabi stiffened and slowly swallowed. How did he know? How could he possibly know? That room was supposed to be foolproof. Hanabi gave the slightest inclination of her head in acknowledgement.

Hiashi paused to take a sip of his tea. "As for your trial, I spoke with the council and it was determined that your trial would be indefinitely dismissed in light of recent events. However, that does not put you out of the light. An investigation is ongoing."

"What does that have to do with me? You can't think I set up a hit on myself?" Hanabi asked.

"An investigation is ongoing." Hiashi repeated. "Now, take your leave. I must rest."

"Understood." Hanabi muttered. She got up and exited the way she came. Avoiding her usual paths of travel would keep her inconspicuous for awhile. She had some thinking to do, plans to make. An investigation huh, she thought. What was there to investigate? It'd be near impossible to find out who sent the assassins. The most that could be done was point fingers and hoped the person felt paranoid enough to mess up.

Well, since she was cleared of her trial, she could invest her energies into something a bit more fruitful. She'd put all thoughts on family matters aside for now, it was high time she got some fresh air. A quick trip off the estate should do her some good. She grinned wickedly as she neared her room.

"What were you able to find out?" Hinata asked, shrugging out of her

Her lover shifted from her lap. Running a finger down the center of her chest, he said, "It'll cost you."

Hinata smirked. "If it's something good, I'll pay you bonus. Now tell me."

Her lover shrugged. "Didn't find out much really. I'm still spying, though I can tell you the assassin wasn't the one you ordered. Seems like someone was a bit quicker than you."

End of Chapter

**So...? How was it? Do let me know in the reviews. Heh not sure if I'm staying true to form :P. next update is gonna be end of Sept sometime, maybe before if I get some inspiration. So inspire me with reviews :3**

**shippu27**


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